India women's dominance in Asia leaves little room for rivals
India's eighth Asia Cup title and Asian Games gold came against Sri Lanka within a week, with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana leading the run-scoring.
India women completed a record-extending eighth Women's Asia Cup title in Dubai and a gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan, both against Sri Lanka. The back-to-back wins came within a week of each other, underlining the gap between India and other Asian sides.
Shafali Verma scored 188 runs at the Asian Games and 236 at the Asia Cup, while Smriti Mandhana contributed 116 and 213 runs respectively across the two tournaments. Sree Charani took 18 wickets in seven T20Is during September at an economy of 3.30.
The traditional top four Asian teams — India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh — continue to dominate continental events, with qualifier sides unable to challenge consistently.
CricHubb Take
The structural imbalance between Full Members and associate sides in Asia means India rarely faces genuine pressure in continental events, which could blunt their edge against stronger opposition.