Shafali Verma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the only Indian cricketers to score centuries in Asian Games history. Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 100 off just 49 balls against Bangladesh, hitting nine sixes. She became the first female player to record a hundred in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. Jaiswal previously set the milestone with a 49-ball century against Nepal. Both explosive players reached the three-figure mark using precisely 49 deliveries in their respective record-breaking innings.
Shafali has a strong record in knockout games. In her last five such appearances, she has scored 87, 64, 68, 40, and now 100. Against Bangladesh, she received support from Smriti Mandhana, who made 37 off 19 balls, and Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 40 off 33 balls. India posted 195 for 4.
Jaiswal previously scored a century to help India beat Nepal by 23 runs in the Asian Games quarter-final in Hangzhou. India made 202 for 4, while Nepal replied with 179 for 9. Jaiswal scored exactly 100 off 49 balls. His innings included eight fours and seven sixes. He played proper cricket shots and picked the right balls to attack. He reached his fifty off just 22 balls. He eventually reached his hundred off 48 balls but got out soon after.
Asian Games 2026: Asian Games: Shafali Century Leads India to Final Against Sri Lanka
India’s women’s cricket team beat Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final of the Asian Games 2026. With this win, India reached the final and secured a medal. Shafali was the star of the match. She scored an unbeaten 100 runs. She became the first female player to score a century in women’s cricket at the Asian Games.
India batted first and scored 195 for 4. Shafali hit nine sixes in her innings. Her strike rate was 204.08. Harmanpreet Kaur also played well and scored 40 runs off 33 balls. For Bangladesh, Marufa Akter, Shanjida Akter Meghla, Rabeya Khan, and Nahida Akter took one wicket each.
Bangladesh were chasing a stiff target of 196. They could only manage 81 runs in 15.4 overs. India won the match by 114 runs. They will now face Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match. Sri Lanka had already reached the final after beating Pakistan by eight wickets.
Shafali also entered the record books with her century. She became the third Indian woman to score a hundred in T20 internationals. She is also the second Indian across genders to score a century at the Asian Games. Jaiswal scored a century in 2023. Other players who have scored centuries at the Asian Games include Khalid Latif of Pakistan in 2010, Kushal Malla of Nepal in 2023, and Syed Aziz of Malaysia in 2023.
Ian Bishop Praises Shafali Verma After Her Maiden T20I Century for India
Shafali scored her first T20I century in India’s Asian Games semi-final against Bangladesh. She made an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls. Her innings included three fours and nine sixes. This was a special moment for her and for Indian cricket.
Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop praised Shafali after the match. He wrote on X that she has had a nice run of form in T20 internationals over the last three months. He said her first white-ball international century coming in T20Is is a due reward.
Shafali became the first Indian woman to score a century in Asian Games cricket. She is also only the second Indian player to achieve this feat after Jaiswal. Her century took her tally to 102 sixes in women’s T20Is. She is now among the leading six-hitters in the format. Sophie Devine of New Zealand and Deandra Dottin of the West Indies jointly lead the list with 134 sixes each.
Shafali has been one of India’s best batters in T20Is in 2026. She has scored 815 runs this year. Only South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt is ahead of her with 824 runs. Shafali’s eight scores of 50 or more this year have matched Smriti Mandhana’s record for most such scores in a calendar year. She has also hit 35 sixes in 2026. That is the highest tally for a calendar year in the format.
Her 49-ball hundred is among the fastest in women’s T20Is by a Full Member team. She shares this mark with Harmanpreet Kaur. Harmanpreet also took 49 balls for her century against New Zealand in 2018. Dottin holds the overall record with a 38-ball hundred against South Africa in 2010.
FAQs
Q. Who are the only Indian players to score Asian Games centuries?
A. Shafali Verma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Q. How many balls did Shafali take for her century?
A. Shafali scored her century off 49 balls.
Q. Who did India beat in the Asian Games semi-final?
A. India beat Bangladesh by 114 runs.
Q. Who will India face in the gold-medal match?
A. India will face Sri Lanka in the final.
Q. How many sixes did Shafali hit against Bangladesh?
A. Shafali hit nine sixes in her unbeaten 100.
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