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Journalism of Courage
India hammer Japan by 8 wickets to start Asian Games gold medal defence
Shafali Verma scored an unbeaten 40 in 15 balls after taking two wickets while Shree Charani took four as India cruised to victory and reached the semifinals.
Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh of India during the Quarter-Final match between Japan Women and India Women at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan, on September 18, 2026.
Photo: Deepak Malik / CREIMAS for BCCI
Shree Charani recorded figures of 4/10 and Shafali Verma was among the wickets and runs as India began their Asian Games title defence in women’s cricket by beating Japan by eight wickets. Japan were all out for 57 runs after India won the toss and chose to bowl first, with the hosts batting all but one delivery of their 20 overs.
India then finished the chase off in five overs, with opener Shafali finishing unbeaten on 40 off 15 balls. She had earlier taken two wickets as well for 13 runs.
The Japanese swung and missed a number of times batting first, with the Indians rarely giving them a second chance. The Power Play yielded only 24 runs and the segment saw Japan batters hitting just two fours, and one of them was an edge through the slips.
But left-arm spinner Charani (4/10), who recorded her best figures in T20s, soon bagged the wickets of opener Haruna Iwasaki (10) and skipper Mai Yanagida off successive balls in the seventh over, continuing her recent red-hot form in this format.
In the back 10, spinner Shafali Verma (2/13) joined the list of wicket-takers as Japan slid further. The off-spinner jettisoned Ayaka Kato-Stafford and Shimako Kato in the 15th and 17th over as their attempt to go for big, aerial shots ended in the hands of Indian fielders.
Shafali (40 not out, 15 balls) played the lead role in that pygmy-sized chase, along with Richa Ghosh (12, six balls). However, Japan also had some moments to cheer as they managed to dismiss opener Gunalan Kamalini and one down batter Bharti Fulmali.
This was the fourth and last quarterfinal of the women’s cricket event at the ongoing Asian Games. They will next face Bangladesh in the semifinal on Sunday while Pakistan face Sri Lanka in the other semi. The event concludes on Tuesday when the final and the third-place playoff is scheduled to take place.
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