Smriti Mandhana’s record-breaking century headlined a massive 137-win for India over Hong Kong China in a Group A encounter of the Women’s Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Hong Kong China won the toss and put India in to bat. After a comparatively sedate start, Smriti and Shafali Verma upped the ante, scoring 60 off the PowerPlay, 22 of those runs coming in the sixth over.
While Hong Kong managed to see off Shafali soon, Smriti was switched on from ball one and never took the foot off the pedal. Her mammoth 124 off 64 balls featured seven sixes and fourteen fours and took the game away from Hong Kong, a side that has returned to the Asia Cup fold after more than a decade.
If it was Shafali’s fifty which was the bright spot in the campaign opener against Thailand, Smriti’s ton covered up the inefficacy of the rest of the order. Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur all fell cheaply, unable to settle and allow the Indian innings to go up a gear.
However, the Indian vice captain was more than enough to put Hong Kong under the pump, falling only in the 20th over, with India finishing with 193 on the board.
Hong Kong’s chase never got going. A daunting Indian bowling attack which stuck to tight stump lines paired with menacing close fields constrained Hong Kong batters to the crease, unable to find gaps to sneak runs. The side managed just four runs off the first four overs, losing Mariko Hill in the second over. The chase never got going with Indian bowlers eventually breaking their resistance to bowl Hong Kong out for 56. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to her name, which saw her once more go above Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong as the top wicket taker in women’s T20Is.
Hong Kong China’s Women’s Asia Cup campaing ended on a sober note, while India advances to the knockouts. Before that, a high-octane and geopolitically charged encounter against Pakiistan remains for the Women in Blue on September 5.
Published on Sep 03, 2026