India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants the team’s struggling middle-order to back their strengths in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday.
“We know we have such a good batting line-up, and I think when you have such a good batting line-up, it is only about whoever is doing well on that day,” Harmanpreet said on Saturday.
“That person should take responsibility and finish the game for the team. I think that is the key on this pitch.”
Shafali Verma (168 runs) and Smriti Mandhana (154) have done a bulk of the scoring, with Harmanpreet the next-highest run-scorer on 57.
Seven-time champions India will again look up to Shafali and Deepti to deliver on the big day.
“It is good to see that whoever gets the opportunity is coming up with solid performances,” she said. “We have managed to get runs on the board and our bowlers are coming up with some really solid performances. So overall, I’m really happy with the way we have played so far.”
The 37-year-old expects a tough fight on Sunday, which will be a repeat of the 2024 final where Sri Lanka defeated India.
“I think the last time we played against Sri Lanka, they came up with some really solid plans and performances,” Harmanpreet said. “Winning in T20 cricket is all about who plays better cricket on the day.”
With most of the players from the 2024 final finding themselves in the mix, Harmanpreet’s team would be determined to make amends but there are some major concerns to address as well.
Fielding still remains a worry for India. They dropped four catches in the semi-final against Bangladesh, with two of them being spilled by Pratika Rawal.
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu hailed the performances of her middle order, singling out Kavisha Dilhari and Harshitha Samarawickrama.