India Women cruise past Japan, set up Asian Games cricket semi-final vs Bangladesh

Brief results: India (58/2 in 5 overs) beat Japan (57 all out in 19.5 overs) by 8 wickets in the women’s cricket quarter-final match at the Asian Games.

Highlights | Scorecard

India Women made a dominant start to their defense of the Asian Games gold medal, defeating Japan by eight wickets in the quarter-finals at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Friday. An emphatic win saw India chasing a modest target of 58 in just five overs with 15 overs to spare.

Playing their first ever women’s international against India, Japan were eventually bowled out for 57 in 19.5 overs. The Indian bowlers turned the match decisively in their favor after the hosts got off to a steady start, with Shree Charani leading the charge with four wickets.

The win sends India into the semi-finals, where they will face Bangladesh on September 20. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team, the defending champions from the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games, will now be two wins away from retaining the gold medal. With the knockout stage in full swing, India put in a clinical performance that underlined the gap between the two sides despite Japan getting off to an even start with the bat.

JAPAN BEGIN CAREFULLY

Shafali Verma took 2 wickets in the quarter finals. Courtesy: BCCI Women

Japan’s Mai Yanagida and Haruna Iwasaki negotiated the first overs with discipline as India struggled to make an immediate breakthrough. Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma kept the pressure on in a tight opening spell but Japan reached 24 without losing a wicket after a six over power play.

The home side showed patience against India’s new-ball attack, opting to rotate the strike and wait for scoring opportunities rather than taking unnecessary risks. The opening stand gave Japan a platform but the Indian bowlers continued to keep the pressure on by keeping the scoring rate in check.

However, Charani quickly turned the momentum around. She conceded nine runs in her first over before making a remarkable comeback, conceding just one run in her next three overs. The left-arm spinner settled into an increasingly menacing rhythm, forcing the Japanese batsmen to play more cautiously.

The pressure finally told in the sixth over when Charani struck twice. She dismissed Iwasaki for 10 before dismissing skipper Yanagido off the first ball, leaving Japan suddenly two wickets down. What was a promising start for the hosts quickly turned into a battle for survival as India began to find regular breakthroughs.

CHARANI ROCKS JAPAN

The collapse gained momentum as the Indian bowlers tightened their grip. Ayaka Kato-Stafford tried to hold the innings together but wickets kept falling around her.

Kato-Stafford top-scored for Japan with 25 off 47 balls, including two fours, before Shafali Verma ended her resistance. The all-rounder tried to clear the infield but instead found the fielder, ending the longest resistance of Japan’s innings.

Charani came back to claim the next two wickets, dismissing Akari Nishimura for two and Erika Toguchi-Quinn for a duck. She finished with impressive figures of 4-2-10-4, underlining how sharply she recovered from her expensive opening. Her spell was particularly damaging as Japan looked comfortable against her initially, but the bowler completely changed the pace of the innings.

Shafali also struck with the ball, completing her four overs for 13 runs and claiming two wickets. Her next victim was Shimako Kato, who fell for three as Japan bowled one off the 20th over.

Shreyanka Patil, who was returning from an ankle injury, also made a significant contribution with the ball. She bowled three overs in just seven runs and looked sharp throughout her spell. Her return added depth to India’s bowling attack and gave the defending champions another positive to take from the quarter-finals.

SHAFALI STARTS IN FLIGHT

India bowled out for 58 in 5 overs. Courtesy: BCCI Women

India’s chase began in typically aggressive fashion as Shafali dismantled Ahilya Chandel in the opener. She smashed four boundaries as India raced to 17 from the over, immediately removing the pressure from the visitors.

An explosive start meant Japan had little room for error. India’s target was in sight after the opening game, but Nonoha Yasumoto gave the hosts something to celebrate in the second.

Promoted to open, Gunalan Kamalini failed to hit. Yasumoto dismissed Kamalini for a duck, prompting loud celebrations from the Japanese players. The wicket briefly raised the prospect that India would be forced to work harder in the chase.

Bharti Fulmali then joined Shafali but made only a six off seven balls. She hit one four before falling to Kato-Stafford, heading for the target and bringing another brief moment of hope for Japan.

However, the early wickets did little to change India’s approach. Shafali continued the bowling attack and ensured that Japan could not create any sustained pressure. The required rate was never an issue and India remained firmly in control despite losing two wickets.

SHAFALI FINISHES IN STYLE

Shafali Verma scored an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls. Courtesy: BCCI Women

With the objective well within reach, Shafali continued to attack rather than give Japan any opportunity to build pressure. Her aggressive stroke play ensured that the chase remained a short affair with India needing just a handful of overs to complete the job.

Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touch as he smashed an unbeaten 13 off just five balls, including a boundary. She joined Shafali at the crease with India already close to victory and promptly kept the score high.

Shafali claimed victory in emphatic fashion, blasting Kato-Stafford over the boundary to finish unbeaten on 40 from just 15 deliveries. Her blistering innings included four fours and two sixes and provided the perfect finish to an otherwise clinical Indian performance.

Bangladesh now stand between Harmanpreet’s side and a place in the gold medal match. India will enter the semi-finals on September 20 after making a statement in the quarter-finals, combining a disciplined bowling effort with an explosive chase to move a step closer to another Asian Games final.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 12:58 IST