Shafali Verma Smashes Fastest Fifty in Asia Cup Final
Shafali Verma slams the fastest fifty in Women's Asia Cup history, off just 24 balls, as India take on Sri Lanka in the 2026 final at Dubai.
Key Highlights:
- Shafali Verma scored the fastest fifty in Women's T20 Asia Cup history, reaching her half-century off just 24 balls.
- She surpassed opening partner Smriti Mandhana's previous record of 25 balls, set in 2022.
- This was Shafali's 21st T20I fifty and her third of the ongoing tournament, joint-most in a single edition alongside Chamari Athapaththu's 2024 tally.
- India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat first, with G Kamalini replacing Pratika Rawal as the only change.
- The record-breaking knock came in the 2026 final against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
A Record-Breaking Start to the Final
India star batter Shafali Verma etched her name into the history books on Sunday, smashing the fastest half-century in the history of the Women's Asia Cup during the 2026 final against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Reaching her fifty off just 24 balls, Shafali's innings set the tone for India's approach in the title clash after the Women in Blue elected to bat first.
A Slow Start That Turned Explosive
Interestingly, Shafali's innings did not begin with the same urgency it would eventually be remembered for. She took four balls just to get off the mark, suggesting a cautious assessment of the conditions and the Sri Lankan bowling attack in the opening exchanges. Once she had seen off the initial deliveries, however, she shifted gears dramatically, taking apart the Sri Lankan bowlers with a string of aggressive strokes that carried her rapidly toward her half-century, which she completed with a boundary off Kavisha Dilhari in the eighth over.
