भारत vs बांग्लादेश, पहला सेमी फाइनल Commentary, Live Updates

Luck has favored Shafali on so many occasions tonight. A couple of dropped chances, a couple of edges going safe and now a run out chance.

That should have been a run-out! Shafali Verma gets yet another life and Bangladesh Women have only themselves to blame.

FIFTY for Shafali Verma, not her fluent best, but a very crucial one nonetheless. Full and on off, Verma leans on and works it through mid-wicket for a single. This is Verma's 20th half-century in T20Is.

Khatun pulls out just before releasing the ball. Turns back to reload.

Flatter one darted across off, Harmanpreet Kaur goes back and across, swatting it back past the bowler for a single down to long on.

Bowled from around the stumps, sliding it across the off stump. Kaur uses the depth of the crease, gliding it wide of short third.

A bit of a hold up as Khatun has a change of angle. Around the wicket now.

Kaur is in a rut at the moment and needs to break free. Slightly fuller on off, keeping low. Kaur stays back and has an attempt at a late dab, but can't get it away.

Nagging length on off, Verma opts to play it off the back foot, punching it down to long off for a single. Verma is now one run away from her fifty.

16 runs in the last 2 overs for India after a really quiet phase. Can see Richa Ghosh padded up in the dugout. Fahima Khatun is back on. 1-0-5-0 so far. She replaces Marufa Akter.

Pushed through on a good length and just outside off. Kaur hangs back and dabs it into the off side.

Shorter one into the surface, Verma drags it from wide of the off stump and pulls it down to long on for a single.

FOUR! Innovation at its best! Flatter one at the stumps, Shafali Verma brings out the reverse sweep and nails it flat over backward point for a boundary. Verma now moves to 47 off 32 balls.

That's held in the deck. Good length on off, sticks in the surface. Verma looks to stay back an flick but ends up getting a leading edge back onto the deck.

Loopy delivery, on a length and wide outside off, Kaur waits well andtaps it to sweeper cover for one.

Tossed up around off, Kaur lunges to defend.

Nahida Akter (2-0-9-0) returns into the attack, replacing Rabeya Khan.

FOUR! A genuine edge this time, and Verma keeps riding her luck in this game. Very full and on off, seams away late. Verma looks to drive it straight but gets an outside edge that goes past the diving keeper and races away to the deep third fence.

FOUR! Shafali Verma is trying to fight fire with fire. Hard length around off, Verma skips down the track and goes hard at it, slicing it away through backward point for a much-needed boundary.

Back of a length and over off, Kaur goes deep in the crease and pushes it down to long on for one. Harman finally gets off the mark on the seventh delivery.

Good change-up! Slower delivery, full and outside off, it is the off-cutter. Kaur looks to pat it down on the off side, but is beaten past the inside edge.

A bit fuller and outside off, Kaur moves to the off side, and tentatively dabs it down towards point.

Length ball around off, hit on the up and struck powerfully towards deep covers for just a single.

Halfway through the first innings. India Women were 45/1 after the Powerplay, and they have only managed to add 14 runs in the last four overs. Bangladesh Women are building good pressure in the middle overs. Let's see how the next phase plays out. Also, Marufa Akter is back into the attack.

Full and around off, driven firmly to the left of the bowler. Khan dives to her left on her follow-through and makes a good stop. Excellent over from Rabeya. A wicket and just a single from it. India, all of a sudden, have hit a wall as they are 59/2 at the halfway mark of the innings.

Floated up on middle, dipping on the batter. Harmanpreet Kaur tucks it off the back foot to the leg side.

Jaffa! The carrom ball, sliding in and then turning away. Full and outside off. Kaur tentatively pushes at it but the ball zips past her outside edge.

Nervy out there! Fuller ball, on the leg stump line. Kaur sits across on her back knee and tries to sweep but plays over the line and is struck on the front pad. The ball rolls to the left of the keeper and Shafali is through for a run, but Kaur sends her back in time. Big appeal for LBW, but not given. But wait on, there's a run out check at the other end as the fielder scores a direct hit at the bowling end, with Verma forced to retreat. However, she does not drag her bat in, rather plonks it inside the crease and the side-on replay shows that she has made it through safely.

DRINKS BREAK! A wicket falls in the 10th over, and the umpires call for drinks. Bangladesh Women have pulled things back pretty decently, but Shafali Verma is still out there and she is well set now. Both teams would like to keep the tempo up and not allow an inch to the opponents, but India will need to be a bit smart with the bat. The surface is definitely helping the slower bowlers and India's middle order hasn't fared all that well in this tournament so far, so the next few overs could be decisive for both sides in this innings. With that said, Harmanpreet Kaur walks out to bat at number 4.

OUT! STRAIGHT UP AND CAUGHT! Much-needed breakthrough for Bangladesh as Rabeya breaks a threatening partnership. She gives it a good rip and lands it around the off stump, a touch full and gets the ball to grip sharply off the surface. Pratika charges down the track and attempts to heave it across the line, but while doing so, she loses her shape and her bottom hand slips off the handle as well. Only manages to slice the ball off the leading edge and it swirls for a long time over mid off. Dilara Akter lurks underneath it and despite the ball threatening to pop out of her palms, she keeps her cool to gobble it up eventually. India Women are 59/2 after 9.2 overs.

Drag-downer, on off, Verma backs away and punches it to wide long off for a single. This bring up the 50-run partnership between Shafali and Pratika.

Beauty! Khatun has mixed her variations cleverly in her first over. Gives it a lot of flight, lands it short and outside off. Pratika Rawal tries to cut it square on the off side, but swings her bat inside the line and is beaten on the outside edge.

Outside off and short, Pratika Rawal camps back and strokes it to covers.

Strays it down leg, on a fuller length. Shafali Verma charges forward and tries to launch it over the leg side, but completely misses to connect. The ball also outfoxes the keeper and rolls to the deep fine leg region. They cross.

Deceives the batter with a loopy ball, full and on the stumps. Pratika Rawal uses her feet and tries to heave it over mid-wicket, but ekes an inside edge and the ball squirts to short fine leg for a single.

A bit quick, short on middle. Verma presses back and eases it down to long on for a run.

Fuller on leg, Pratika Rawal dances down the track and whips it hard to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Looped up, short and turning away, Pratika Rawal goes back and across and tamely chips it on the bounce to the bowler.

The slowness of the deck is in full flow in the middle overs, but Bangladesh Women need to turn this good patch into wickets, otherwise, India will have the chance to just go big at the death. Here's Fahima Khatun to have a bowl now.

A googly on a length by Rabeya that shoots back into the batter and cramps Shafali for room as she looks to cut it away. Ends up getting a fat outside edge and the ball gets sliced towards short third. Don't think Verma picked that variation.

Quicker and shorter, outside off, Verma punches it away, but straight to the fielder at cover.

Around middle and leg, on a length, Pratika Rawal plays it with the spin. Goes back and steers it in front of square on the leg side for a run.

WIDE! Darts it down leg, on a length. Rawal misses the whip and Sultana grabs it to her left.

Holds on the surface slightly, outside off, Verma ends up chipping the ball to the right of the point fielder for a single.

Shortish in length, on off, Shafali hangs back and knocks it hard to cover.

Dishes out a full ball, on leg, Pratika Rawal whips it off the pads to the right of square leg. The fielder there slides across but lets the ball seep through. The batters, surprisingly, run only a single.

Flatter and quicker, on off, Shafali creates room and eases it to the point fielder. Just 4 runs off this over. 10 from the last 2 for India.

Massive turn, short outside off, Rawal drags it across to widish long on for a single.

More flight given, on a length, around off, Rawal is half-forward and knocks it to the left of the bowler.

Smidge short, spinning away, on off. Shafali Verma rocks back and punches it crisply to the left of extra cover and picks up a single.

Short once again, around off, Rawal hangs deep inside the crease and cuts it to deep point for a single.

Nahida drops it short and around off, Verma hangs back and jabs it to the long on region for an easy single.

A short ball, outside off, cut off the back foot to the point region. India Women end their Powerplay with 45/1 on the board.

Big turns with a bit of bounce, on a length. Pratika Rawal tries to work it across to the leg side by backing away, but the ball lobs off the leading edge and falls to the left of the bowler.

SIX! VOILA! Floated on a fuller length, on middle and leg. Pratika Rawal picks the length early and springs down the track before hoisting it nice and clean over deep mid-wicket for half a dozen runs. Rawal breaks the shackles with that magnificent strike.

Turns down leg, on a fullish length, Rawal misses the flick and the ball clips the front pad. Big shot coming?

A touch short but it keeps a little low, on off, Rawal goes back and hits it to cover.

Half an appeal for LBW, but that is clearly going down leg and the umpire shakes her head. Spins in a bit from middle to leg, on a fuller length, Pratika leans on to flick but plays over it and is struck on the front pad.

Change? Yup. Rabeya Khan is into the attack and will wrap up the Powerplay.

Lucky again for Shafali. Floated up outside off, Verma throws her hands at it, slicing it up and over backward point for a couple of runs. India Women are 39/1 after 5.

This is drifted into the batter, Rawal nudges it into the leg side and pinches a quick run.

Good length around off, the ball doesn't quite slide through. Rawal hops back to cut, but jams it down the pitch.

On the shorter side, and wide outside off. Pratika Rawal pounces on the width and smacks it straight to cover-point.

Flatter at the stumps, Verma rocks back and plays the short-arm jab. The fielder at mid-wicket, makes a good stop to her right and keeps it down to a single.

Bowled into the pitch, on off and getting it to grip. Rawal stays back and taps it wide of mid on for a single.

Dropped first on 6 and then on 11, Shafali is already making Bangladesh pay with those two outrageous biggies. She looks in a no-nonsense mood. Nahida Akter is introduced into the attack, replacing Marufa Akter.

Oh, some genuine turn now. Khatun drags the length back and gets the ball to spin into the right-hander. Verma stays back and fails to flick it away.

SIX! Even better! Flighted again, around off, Verma steps out a bit, gets to the pitch of the ball, and pummels it wide of long off for another biggie. She is making the most of the two lives she's got so far.

SIX! A shot of real authority from Shafali Verma. Tossed up around off, Verma dances down the pitch, keeps a still head and whacks it over long off for a biggie.

Darted in a bit, just outside off, and the ball skids off the deck. Verma goes on the back foot and jams it to covers.

Tossed up on off and middle, Verma gets forward and chips it with good timing towards deep mid-wicket. Rabeya Khan cuts it off to her left and the batters get two runs.

Good length around off, punched away to cover-point.

Full of a good length and wide outside off, seaming away. Rawal has a poke at it but misses and the ball dies on its way to the keeper.

Back of a length and outside off, punched away off the back foot and in front of point for a couple of runs.

FOUR! What a shot to get off the mark, sublime timing from Pratika Rawal. Pitched fuller around off, looking for some swing. Rawal gets on the front foot and creams it past extra cover for a boundary.

Length ball around off, eased away to covers for a quick single.

DROPPED AGAIN! Life number 2 for Shafali Verma. Marufa Akter lands it on a fuller length, angling it in. Shafali Verma looks to swing it over mid-wicket but the ball goes off the inside half of the blade and gets chipped wide of mid on. Nahida Akter is sluggish to get across and barely gets a hand on it. This is not good from Bangladesh.

FOUR! Short-pitched delivery over middle, Shafali Verma gets in position early and smokes the pull over mid-wicket for a boundary.

That's an enormous wicket for Bangladesh. Mandhana falls without any impact and that brings Pratika Rawal to the crease at number 3.

OUT! TAKEN THIS TIME! Sultana Khatun keeps tossing the ball up at the stumps, inviting the big shot. Smriti Mandhana clears the front leg and looks to swing it over long on but she is hitting against the turn. Smriti ends up mistiming it towards mid on, where Shorna Akter takes a good catch to her right and Bangladesh Women are ecstatic.

Lobbed up around off, blocked off by Mandhana.

Tossed up, in and around off, Mandhana blocks it to covers.

PUT DOWN! A big, big letdown for Bangladesh Women so early in the game. Flighted ball on middle, Shafali Verma takes the front leg out and heaves it high towards long on. The ball hangs in the air for an eternity and Fahima Khatun settles under it. However, she goes with the reverse cup and spills it down. Single taken. Never easy at the ring of fire, but that should have been taken.

Flatter one just outside off, this one stays a bit low as well. Verma rocks back and cuts it straight towards point.

Floated up on a length, on leg, nurdled away past square leg for a single.

Barring the last ball, it was a very disciplined start from Marufa. From the other end, Sultana Khatun will share the attack to bowl some offies. A slip in place.

FOUR! Too straight, and there is the first boundary of the contest. Full and swinging down leg, Verma gets inside the line and flicks it to the right of short fine leg for four runs. India are 7/0 after the first over.

The slip fielder was removed just before the fifth ball, and Fahima Khatun is reinstated at first slip.

Edged away, and Verma is off the mark. Back of a length, in the channel and nibbling away. Verma looks to punch it on the up, but gets an outside edge. Juairiya Ferdous at deep third cuts it off to her left with a dive and keeps it down to two runs.

Good length, swinging back into the pads. Verma leans on and clips it across to mid-wicket.

Oh, that's a brilliant change-up. Slower ball, pitched up on off, seams away after pitching. Verma gets squared up a bit and the ball beats the outside edge by a long margin.

A big inswinger, fuller and angling back onto the stumps. Shafali Verma drills the drive to cover and looks for a single, but Sobhana Mostary dives to her left and makes a good stop.

Off the mark right away! Full and on middle, swinging across the left-hander. Smriti Mandhana eases it towards cover for a quick single.

Right. The anthems have rung out, with Amar Shonar Bangla and Jan Gan Man both given their due in the middle, and the first semifinal is set to get underway under the Ring of Fire in Dubai. The stands carry a healthy mix of support for both sides. The two umpires stroll out to the middle and Nigar Sultana has her troops in a huddle before Bangladesh's players scatter to take their positions on the field. The two Indian openers - Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma - walk to the crease. And in her 50th T20I, Marufa Akter will charge in for the first over. It's Mandhana vs Marufa first up. A slip in place. Here we go...

Well then, both teams are expectedly unchanged and both captains - Kaur and Sultana - got what they wanted from the toss. They lead their respective groups to the middle. It is national anthems time. It will be Bangladesh's first, followed by India's.

The Indian skipper - Harmanpreet Kaur says that they actually thought of batting first and that runs on the board are crucial in a knockout game. Adds that the T20 format is such that you cannot take any team lightly. Informs that they have no changes in the team and feels that the batting Powerplay will be crucial in directing their score.

The captain of Bangladesh Women - Nigar Sultana explains that the decision to bowl first is because they want their bowlers to have early access to whatever the pitch has to offer. When asked whether past results against India factor into her thinking, she plays it down, calling it simply a new day and stressing playing a good brand of cricket overall. On the team combination, she informs that they are going unchanged for the semi-final. On being asked about a target they would be happy chasing, Sultana leans on the overall experience of playing at this venue rather than naming a number.

Bangladesh Women (Unchanged XI) - Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana (C/WK), Sharmin Akhter, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Nahida Akter, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, and Sultana Khatun.

India Women (Unchanged XI) - Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Deepti Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (WK), Prema Rawat, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, and Nandani Sharma.

TOSS - The two captains, Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana, are out there in the middle for the flip of the coin. Nigar calls correctly and Bangladesh Women will BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Veda Krishnamurthy and Farveez Maharoof are pitchside. Farveez begins by pointing out that this surface has been used thrice in this tournament so far. Veda joins him and notes that it is a beautiful wicket to bat on. Also feels it holds enough for the seamers to find some early movement, but once the shine wears off, it settles into a genuinely good batting wicket. She also highlights that India have picked up 21 wickets and Bangladesh have maintained a good economy rate. She notes batters can trust the bounce and play their shots, sweeps included, once set. Reckons boundaries won't flow freely through the middle overs, with conditions tilting back toward the bowlers and forcing batters to work for their runs. Feels winning the toss should mean bowling first and chasing, with the pitch likely to play better under lights than it does fresh in the morning. Maharoof builds on that thought, pointing out that he has seen runs dry up quickly in the first few overs on surfaces like this, which only strengthens the case for bowling first. For him, the real subplot to watch is the new ball battle of Marufa Akter against the top order, with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana having to survive that opening burst before the pitch eases up.

Title pretenders or title contenders? The above question has always hovered over the head of Bangladesh Women when it comes to being the best on the continent. They have time and again shown glimpses of their abilities, especially with the ball, but their batting attack will need to put in a big performance against a highly-effective Indian bowling lineup. If Bangladesh manage to grind it out with the bat, they certainly have the bowling to actually push India to the limit. Stay tuned as the toss and team sheets will be up in a bit.

Spotless India want their crown back - The 2024 edition of the tournament saw hosts Sri Lanka beat the mighty India Women in the final, and India will be looking to get it back. They have won all three matches, as expected, including a drubbing of rivals Pakistan, and come into this clash with plenty of confidence behind them. The opening pair will once again be the centre of attraction, whereas the bowlers wll look to continue their fine showing.

No second chances from here on - Hello, and a warm welcome to one and all. India Women take on Bangladesh Women in the first semifinal of the 2026 Women's Asia Cup in Dubai. It is a repeat of the exact clash from the 2024 edition, when India cruised home in a ten-wicket win in Dambulla. They are once again the heavy favorites to make the Final, but Bangladesh surely will want to have their say and cause a potential upset.

... MATCH DAY ...

The final four - From 8 teams, the field has narrowed down to four in the quest for continental glory at the 10th edition of the Women's Asia Cup. No disrespect to the Associate nations, but the four semifinalists are who many would have picked at the start of the tournament. India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have qualified, with the finalists from the previous edition, India and Sri Lanka, the only two unbeaten teams. A familiar semi-final - The first semi-final clash sees India and Bangladesh lock horns at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, just as they did back in 2022, when the Women in Blue cruised their way to the final, where they eventually lost. 7-time champions India have three titles in the tournament's T20I era and have reached the final on all nine previous occasions. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have one title to their name, coming back in 2018 when they defeated India in the summit clash. They are aiming to return to the final for the first time since then. India have set the bar - The Women in Blue have bowled their opponents out in all three games and are the only side to have scored more than 150 twice, with no other team managing to do so even once. That being said, this could arguably be their biggest test yet against a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack, who are a dangerous side in such slow and low conditions that they have grown up playing in back home. The openers hold the key - As has been the case for a while now, India have been heavily reliant on their openers, and Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have come through so far. But there is a soft underbelly after these two. They capitulated against Thailand after the openers had given them a strong start and cannot afford another such collapse at this stage. Not having Jemimah Rodrigues, who is out with a hamstring injury, means India have missed a batter who can be busy at the crease and keep the scoreboard moving. Pratika Rawal does not have much experience in this format, and her game arguably suits the other two formats more, but this is an opportunity for her to show what she can bring. The likes of Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh will also need to come good. Spin trio pulling the strings - Spin has done the bulk of the damage for India, with Sree Charani, Deepti Sharma and Prema Rawat forming an effective trio. Charani stands on the precipice of 50 T20I wickets and needs two more to go past Poonam Yadav, who took 35 scalps in 2018, for the most wickets in a calendar year for India in women's T20Is. On the pace bowling front, Nandani Sharma has been impressive with the new ball as well as with her variations, especially the back-of-the-hand delivery, while Kranti Gaud has managed only a solitary wicket from three games. Bangladesh smell an opportunity - The Nigar Sultana-led unit will sense they have a real chance of upstaging India here, as the conditions do, to an extent, reduce the skill gap between the two sides. They will know that getting the two Indian openers early could go a long way towards winning the contest. Marufa leads the charge - Upfront, the responsibility will rest on the young but able shoulders of Marufa Akter, with her ability to make the new ball talk. In what is a spin-heavy attack, Marufa, the speedster, has picked up the most wickets (7) for Bangladesh. The experienced Nahida Akter is the spearhead of the spin attack and has shown her ability to control the game. She will have support from Rabeya Khan and the two Khatuns, Fahima and Sultana Khatun, giving Bangladesh plenty of variety in the spin department. Awaiting a big score - When it comes to their batting, Bangladesh are the only team among the four semifinalists not to have an individual fifty. There is no better time than a semifinal to change that. Much will rest on their skipper, Nigar Sultana, who has had a quiet tournament so far. At the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Juairiya Ferdous showed her ball-striking ability, and she was the only Bangladesh batter to score a fifty at that global event. The Tigresses will need her and the other opener, Dilara Akter, to set the tone with the bat, while Shorna Akter will be one to watch out for down the order given her ability to strike the ball cleanly. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - IND - WWWLW | BAN - WLWLL. What to expect? Slow and low conditions have been the story of this tournament, with the average first-innings score being 118. The spinners have picked up 123 wickets in the tournament at an economy rate of 4.81, while the pacers have managed 50 wickets at 6.03. So, expect another surface where batting may not be straightforward, and the spinners could once again have a major say. A lopsided rivalry - India hold a commanding 21-3 head-to-head record in Women’s T20Is. Bangladesh will have to draw inspiration from their 2018 Asia Cup heroics, when they stunned India not once, but twice, first in the group stage and then in the final, to clinch the title. Can they summon that magic once again? We shall find out.