India Women Cruise Past Japan Into Asian Games Cricket Semifinals

Defending gold medallists India secured a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Japan in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Asian Games women's cricket tournament on Friday. The win at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi, Japan, confirms India's place in the semi-finals, where they are scheduled to face Bangladesh on September 20.

India elected to bowl first and immediately stifled the Japanese batting lineup. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani spearheaded the attack, recording career-best T20I figures of 4/10 from her four-over spell. Her performance included two maiden overs and a double-wicket strike in the seventh over, which effectively dismantled Japan's momentum. Japan struggled to rotate the strike or find the boundary, managing only three fours throughout their innings. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 57 in 19.5 overs, with Shafali Verma contributing 2/13 and Shreyanka Patil also among the wickets.

India's response was clinical and swift. Opener Shafali Verma set an aggressive tone, striking four boundaries in the opening over. Despite losing Gunalan Kamalini and Bharti Fulmali early, India reached the target of 58 in just five overs. Verma remained unbeaten on 40 off 15 balls, finishing the match with a six off Shimako Kato. Richa Ghosh provided support with an unbeaten 12, ensuring India completed the chase with 90 balls to spare.

This victory marks a continuation of India's strong form in the tournament. For Shree Charani, the performance follows a notable four-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka last week. Charani, who recently achieved a record-breaking ICC T20I rating of 804, has become a central figure in India's bowling rotation. The 2026 Asian Games cricket competition is structured as a straight knockout format starting from the quarter-finals. With India advancing, the other semi-final will feature Pakistan against Sri Lanka, who secured their spot after an 86-run win over Malaysia earlier in the day.