Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana once again showed why they are among the most successful opening pairs in women’s cricket as the Indian duo created history in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final against Sri Lanka in Dubai
The left-hand-right-hand combination put together a stunning 129-run opening partnership in 12.5 overs, giving India a flying start after Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat. Shafali and Mandhana both scored half-centuries as India posted 183/5 in the final. cThe partnership also helped the Indian duo achieve a major milestone in Women’s T20I cricket.
Shafali-Mandhana join elite list
The 129-run stand was the sixth 100-plus partnership between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana in Women’s T20Is. They now share the record for the most 100-plus stands in Women’s T20Is for any wicket.
Most 100-plus stands in Women’s T20Is – Any wicket
6 – Shafali Verma & Smriti Mandhana (India)
6 – Esha Oza & Theertha Satish (UAE)
5 – Suzie Bates & Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
The Indian pair have now moved level with UAE’s Esha Oza and Theertha Satish, while New Zealand legends Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine are next with five 100-plus partnerships.
129-run stand breaks Asia Cup record
The record-breaking partnership in Dubai was significant beyond the 100-run milestone. Shafali and Mandhana’s 129-run stand became the highest partnership for any wicket in a Women’s T20I tournament final involving five or more teams. They surpassed the previous record of 122 runs, held by West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Stefanie Taylor, who had achieved the feat against Australia in the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup final in Kolkata.
The Indian pair also registered the highest partnership in a Women’s Asia Cup match, going past the previous record of 128 runs set by Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma against Sri Lanka in the 2022 edition.
Highest Partnerships in a Women’s Asia Cup match
1.) 129 – Shafali Verma & Smriti Mandhana vs Sri Lanka, Dubai, 2026
2.) 128 – Jemimah Rodrigues & Deepti Sharma vs Sri Lanka, Sylhet, 2022
3.) 122 – Dayalan Hemalatha & Shafali Verma vs Nepal, Dambulla, 2024
4.) 116 – Sabbhineni Meghana & Shafali Verma vs Malaysia, Sylhet, 2022
5.) 115 – Chamari Athapaththu & Anushka Sanjeewani vs Malaysia, Dambulla, 2024
Shafali, Mandhana produce stunning half-centuries
Shafali was the more aggressive of the two batters, smashing 68 runs off 39 balls with nine boundaries and two sixes. Mandhana provided the perfect support at the other end, scoring 59 off 39 balls including five boundaries and three sixes.
Their 129-run stand laid the foundation for India’s imposing total of 183/5, with the Indian team eventually going on to defeat Sri Lanka by 72 runs and lift the Women’s Asia Cup trophy for a record-extending eighth time.
3,909 partnership runs and counting
The latest milestone adds to the extraordinary numbers produced by Shafali and Mandhana together in the shortest format. The Indian pair have accumulated 3,909 partnership runs in Women’s T20Is, the most by any pair in the history of the format.
No other partnership has crossed the 3,000-run mark, underlining the remarkable consistency and longevity of the Shafali-Mandhana combination. Their latest century stand in the Asia Cup final therefore wasn’t just another big partnership, it added another record to one of the most productive partnerships in Women’s T20I cricket.
