The stage is set for a thrilling encounter at the Korogi Sports Park as India Women face Bangladesh Women in the 2nd Semi Final of the Women’s Asian Games 2026. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and, without hesitation, elected to bat first, aiming to post a formidable total.
The team management has shown faith in their winning combination, fielding an unchanged Playing XI for this critical knockout match.
India’s Unchanged XI for Semifinal Showdown
The Indian contingent, fresh off a dominant performance in the quarter-finals, will be looking to secure their spot in the final. The decision to keep the Playing XI intact reflects confidence in the form and balance of the squad. Key players like Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma will be crucial at the top, while the all-round abilities of Deepti Sharma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur herself will be vital in the middle order and with the ball.
India Women Playing XI:
- Smriti Mandhana
- Shafali Verma
- Bharti Fulmali
- Harmanpreet Kaur (c)
- Richa Ghosh (wk)
- Gunalan Kamalini
- Deepti Sharma
- Shreyanka Patil
- Shree Charani
- Nandani Sharma
- Kranti Gaud
Bangladesh Women Playing XI:
- Dilara Akter
- Juairiya Ferdous
- Sobhana Mostary
- Nigar Sultana (wk/c)
- Shorna Akter
- Sharmin Akhter
- Shanjida Akter Meghla
- Rabeya Khan
- Nahida Akter
- Marufa Akter
- Sultana Khatun
Road to the Semis and Recent Form
Both teams have navigated different paths to reach this semifinal stage. India comfortably dispatched hosts Japan in their quarter-final encounter, showcasing their strength across all departments. Bangladesh, on the other hand, advanced after their quarter-final match against China was unfortunately washed out, progressing based on their higher ranking.
The rivalry between these two Asian cricketing powerhouses is quite recent and intense. They clashed just a week ago in the semi-finals of the Asia Cup, where India Women proved to be far too strong, emerging victorious. This history will add an extra layer of intrigue to today’s contest, with Bangladesh surely eager for redemption.
Match Details
The match commenced at 2:00 PM local time in Japan (10:30 AM IST, 5:00 AM GMT) today, Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. With India opting to bat first, the focus will now turn to their batting unit to lay a solid foundation and set a challenging target for Bangladesh. The winner will take on Sri Lanka women in the gold-medal match, having beaten Pakistan women in semi-final 1.