LIVE

Asian Games Cricket Updates: Shafali blasts India to easy win over Japan

Fri, 18 September 2026

Refresh

12:26

Shafali blasts India to easy win over Japan

Shafali Verma

India 59-2 (5 ovs) vs Japan 57 | SCORECARD

Richa Ghosh hits Yasumoto for a four straight back past the bowler and then takes a single.

Singles off the last three balls as Yasumoto concedes eight runs in her second over.

Seamer Shimaka Koto into the attack. Shafali slaps the first ball square on the off-side in the gap through the covers for a four and punches the next square for another boundary.

Shafali seals the victory in grand style launching Koto for a huge six over long-on.

India crush Japan by eight wickets with 15 overs to spare.

Shafali smashed her way to 40 not out from 15 balls with six fours and two sixes as India hammered their way to 59/2 in five overs.

India will take on Bangladesh in the semi-final on Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 10.30am IST.

12:19

Shafali gives India a flying start vs Japan

India 31-2 (3 ovs) vs Japan 57 | SCORECARD

Pacer Ayaka Stafford into the attack. Fulmali hits the third ball straight down the ground for a four to long-off.

However Stafford gets revenge next ball as Fulmali looks to slog it across the line but gets the outside edge to be caught at point for six.

Shafali ends the over in grand style, hitting the last ball for a six over long-off.

She has smashed her way to 23 from eight balls at a strike rate of just under 300.

12:17

Shafali gives India a flying start vs Japan

India 17-1 (2 ovs) vs Japan 57 | SCORECARD

Shafali Verma walks out to bat with Gunalan Kamilini, while Ahilya Chandel will open the bowling for Japan.

Shafali takes no time to get going, lofting the first ball from Chandel straight down the ground for a four.

The next ball is a wide before Shafali jumps down the track to loft the ball over mid-off for another boundary.

Shafali makes it a hat-trick of boundaries hitting Chandel in the gap through the covers for another four.

Two dots in a row before Shafali crashes the last ball in the gap through the covers for the fourth four of the over.

However, India suffer a blow as Kamalini falls for a duck to Nonoha Yasumoto, holing out to the fielder at long-on.

Bharti Fulmali keeps out the last four balls as Yasumoto starts off with a wicket maiden.

11:51

Shree Charani sends Japan crashing for 57

Japan 57-all out (19.4 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Shree Charani picked up a four-wicket haul to send Japan crashing for a lowly 57 in the Asian Games women's cricket quarter-final match against Japan in Nagoya on Friday.

Ayako Kato who made a patient 25 from 47 balls was the only Japan batter to score above 20. Haruni Iwasaki was the only other batter to score in double digits.

Charani registered excellent figures of 4/10 in four overs, while Shafali Verma bagged 2/13.

11:48

India's bowlers leave Japan in a mess

Japan 56-9 (19 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Another run out leads to the dismissal of Akari Kano as she walks back for a two-ball duck.

Deepti gives away just three runs in her final over to finish with 1/14 in four overs.

Shree Charani comes back into the attack and continues to chip away at the wickets.

Akari Nishimura gets a leading edge off Charani and is caught at deep midwicket for two.

Charani strikes again in the next over as Erika Toguchi offers Shafali a simple catch at mid-on to be dismissed for a duck.

Japan's No 11 Nonoha Yasumoto keeps out the last two balls to deny Charani a five-wicket haul.

Charani finishes with excellent figures of 4/10 in four overs, including two maiden overs and overall 20 dot balls.

11:42

India's bowlers leave Japan in a mess

Japan 52/6 (17 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Shafali gets another wicket, in her final over. Shimako Kato swings hard but can only find the fielder at mid-off to be dismissed for four.

Japan lose another wicket off the next ball. Hinase Goto is run out after going for the second run off the sweep shot which went to fine leg.

Japan reeling on 52/6 in 17 overs.

Shafali ends with good figures of 2/13 in four overs.

11:34

India's bowlers leave Japan in a mess

Japan 47-4 (15 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Shafali to bowl the 13th over. Kato steers the first ball past short thirdman for two runs followed by a wide.

Three singles from the rest of the over as Shafali gives away six runs in her second over.

Deepti continues from the other end. Kato sweeps the third ball through square leg for two runs and swats the next for a four -- the first boundary for Japan after 52 balls.

Shafali dents Japan's hopes with the wicket of the well-set Kato, who looks to hit over the top but ends up holing out to mid-on to depart for a sedate 25 from 47 balls.

Akari Nishimura keeps out the rest of the over as Japan struggle to 47/4 in 15 overs.

11:21

Japan lose 3rd wicket; India in control

Japan 33-3 (12 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Shafali Verma comes into the attack. Japan's batters continue to play defensively, as they pick just two singles from Shafali's first over.

Kato has scored just 13 runs from 30 balls. She needs to get a few boundaries and put Japan on course for around the 90-100 run mark.

But Kato is struggling to get the ball in the gap. She plays four dots in a row off Deepti before sweeping the spinner for just one.

Oda falls off the last ball of the over. She slog sweeps Deepti but ends up holing out to deep midwicket to fall for five from 14 balls.

Japan are struggling on 33/3 in 12 overs with the run rate under three.

11:13

Shree Charani's double strike rocks Japan

Shree Charani

Japan 30-2 (10 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Shreyanka continues from the other end. Two dots to Kato, who then takes a single and Oda flicks the last ball in the gap at midwicket for a couple of runs.

Kato struggling to read Charani, who produces a beauty to beat the right-hander.

The flighted delivery turns away sharply along with extra bounce to beat Kato two balls in a row.

Kato plays and misses again off the last ball, pushing at it from the crease only to see the ball turn away sharply and beat the edge.

Off-spinner Deepti Sharma from the other end. She starts with a quiet over conceding three singles.

Japan struggling on 30/2 in 10 overs with Kato on 12 from 28 balls and Oda on four from nine balls.

11:04

Shree Charani's double strike rocks Japan

Japan 24-2 (7 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil from the other end. Kato leaves the first ball before defending the next follow by a wide.

Kato takes a quiet single on the leg side and Iwasaki manages one off the last ball.

Japan have managed 24 runs from the six overs of Powerplay, hitting two boundaries in total.

India will be looking to build the pressure and pick some wickets in the middle overs.

Shree Charani gets the first wicket as Iwasaki goes for the slog sweep but is caught by Shafali Verma at long-on for 10 from 22 balls.

Shree Charani strikes off the very next ball, with Japan captain Mai Yanagida caught behind for a first-ball duck.

Shree Charani on a hat-trick!

But Erika Oda does well to deny the Indian spinner a hat-trick, defending the full delivery with utmost caution.

Oda keeps out the last two balls as Shree Charani bowls a double wicket maiden.

10:53

Japan women off to slow start vs India

Japan 21-0 (5 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Iwasaki clips Nandani on the leg side for one and Akari taps the next on the off-side for another single.

The two Japan openers have found it difficult to middle the ball and are only able to pick singles in the circle. They are trying their best to hit the ball hard and get boundaries but so far the timing has deserted them.

Iwasaki picks two leg byes courtesy of an overthrow before she lofts the next back over the bowler's head but again no timing. The ball clears mid-off but only for two runs.

World No 1 bowler in T20 Internationals spinner Shree Charani comes into the attack to bowl the fifth over. Japan get their first boundary as Akari Kato gets a thick outside edge going wide of the lone slip fielder for a four.

Kato takes a single before Iwasaki goes for the big swing but is beaten by the flighted delivery which turns away.

Iwasaki makes good connection next ball lofting Charani over mid-on for the second four of the over.

Nine runs from the over as Japan reach 21 for no loss in five overs.

10:43

Japan women off to slow start vs India

Japan 6-0 (3 ovs) vs India | SCORECARD

Seamer Nandani Sharma from the other end. Akari leaves the first ball before she taps the next ball into the leg side for a single to get off the mark.

Iwasaki keeps out the remaining four deliveries with Nandani bowing a wide in between to concede just two singles from the second over.

Gaud bowls another tidy over conceding just two runs. Akari is happy to bat cautiously as she plays five dots in the over.

Japan off to a slow start, with just six runs coming from the first three overs.

10:34

India Women Elect To Bowl vs Japan

Japan 2-0 (1 ov) vs India | SCORECARD

Kranti Gaud to open the bowling for India, while Haruna Iwasaki and Akari Nishimura are the two openers for Japan.

The first ball is pitched right up outside the line of off-stump as Iwasaki is beaten and the same next ball.

Iwasaki pushes the third ball into the gap between point and covers for two runs to get Japan off the mark.

She hits the fourth ball to mid-off and is beaten next ball as Gaud gets some extra bounce followed by another dot ball.

10:25

Harmanpreet Kaur-led India have fielded a strong playing XI as they look for a strong start in the Asian Games.

Japan, captained by Mai Yanagida, face a tough task against the in-form Indian team but they will look to make a mark in front of their home fans.

Check out the playing XIs:

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Gunalan Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (w/k), Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, Shreyanka Patil, Kranti Gaud, Nandani Sharma

Japan Women: Haruna Iwasaki, Akari Nishimura Kano (w/k), Mai Yanagida (Captain), Erika Oda, Ahilya Chandel, Shimako Kato, Ayaka Kato-Stafford, Ayumi Fujikawa, Hinase Goto, Erika Toguchi Quinn, Nonoha Yasumoto.

10:07

India Women Elect To Bowl vs Japan

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has won the toss and elected to bowl against Japan in the Asian Cup 2026 quarter-final match in Nagoya on Friday.

This is the first time India is playing against Japan in a T20 International.

India women are the defending champions, having won the gold in the previous edition of the Asian Games in 2023.

The winner of the match will play against Bangladesh in the second semi-final on Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 10.30am IST.

Pakistan clash against Sri Lanka in the first semi-final of the women's cricket competition at the Asian Games.

The bronze medal play-off and the final are scheduled to take place on September 22, 2026.

09:55

India Women Play Japan In Opener

India women's team

Welcome to the coverage of the Asian Games 2026 women's cricket quarter-final match between India and Japan in Nagoya on Friday.

Fresh from their record-extending Asia Cup triumph, defending champions India will begin their Asian Games title defence as overwhelming favourites against hosts Japan.

Eight teams are competing in the women's event and the competition starts directly with the quarter-finals, meaning there are no group stage matches to provide teams with time to settle into the tournament. One defeat is enough to end a campaign.

Shafali Verma will be one of India's key weapons after an outstanding Asia Cup, where she emerged as the team's leading batter and finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer. Her consistency at the top gave India a strong start in the UAE. Smriti Mandhana, however, endured an inconsistent campaign and will be eager to rediscover her touch as India embark on another title bid.

Much of India's bowling will revolve around experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma and left-arm spinner Sree Charani, who has rapidly established herself as an important member of the attack.

Charani was among India's standout performers in the Asia Cup and reached the landmark of 50 T20I wickets in only her 30th appearance. The 22-year-old's ability to control the middle overs could prove important.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will also be looking for a better outing after an indifferent Asia Cup, with her experience in pressure situations likely to assume greater significance in a tournament where every game is a must-win.

Asian Games Cricket Updates: Shafali blasts India to easy win over Japan

TOP STORIES