Skipper Radha Yadav led from the front with an all-round show that helped India to cruise into the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 summit clash. The India A team defeated Sri Lanka A by five wickets in their semifinal match at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday.
India will meet Bangladesh in the final. Bangladesh had scored a crushing 54-run win over Pakistan in the second semifinal.
Asked to bowl first, the Indian team bundled out Sri Lanka for 118 in 19.4 overs before chasing the target down in just 13.3 overs and with five wickets in hand. Radha Yadav contributed with both bat and ball and was adjudged Player of the Match.
After Lankan captain Anushka Sanjeewani won the toss and elected to field first, the Indian bowlers did a great job by not letting any top-order partnerships extend. Tanuja Kanwar, whose four-wicket haul helped India down Nepal in their final Group A match and seal a place in the semis, impressed once again by dismissing Hansima Karunaratne and Shashini Gimhani.
Prema Rawat, meanwhile, completed her four overs with incredible figures of 2 for 9, picking up opener Sanjana Kavindi, who was Sri Lanka’s highest scorer with 31, and Sathya Sandeepani. Minnu Mani castled opposition captain Sanjeewani to ensure half of the Lankan batters were back to the pavilion with 100 on the board.
It was a Radha Yadhav show thereafter, who cleaned up the Sri Lankan tail promptly by dismissing Shayani Senaratne and Ama Kanchana in the 17th over and sending back Lihini Apsara and Yasanthi Nimanthika in the final over of the innings. Saima Thakor bowled out Malsha Shehani in between Yadav’s two batches of two scalps to ensure Sri Lanka lost their final five wickets for a paltry 18 runs.
Despite losing Nandini Kashyap early in the chase, India were given a solid start by Vrinda Dinesh (42 off 20) and Anushka Sharma (27 off 18) and were cruising along at 78 for 1 before Vrinda was run out.
Sri Lanka followed up with some quick wickets to reduce India to 99 for 4 at one stage. However, Radha Yadav made sure she anchored the chase right to the end with an unbeaten 18-ball 31.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka A 118 in 19.4 overs (Sanjana Kavindi 31, Shashini Gimhani 22; Radha Yadav 4/19, Prema Rawat 2/9, Tanuja Kanwar 2/20) lost to India A 119 for five in 13.3 overs (Dinesh Vrinda 42, Anushka Sharma 27, Radha Yadav 31 not out; Shashini Gimhani 2/33).
Second semifinal: Bangladesh A 110 for eight in 20 overs (Fahima Khatun 40 not out; Hafsa Khalid 2/25) beat Pakistan A 56 in 16.4 overs (Sanjida Akter Meghla 3/6, Fahima Khatun 2/6).
