Shafali Verma’s belligerent 64 set the tone before Deepti Sharma’s record-breaking three-wicket burst without conceding a run powered India to a thumping 94-run win over Thailand in their Women’s T20 Asia Cup opener here on Sunday.
The flamboyant opener smashed eight fours and three sixes in her 36-ball knock before Thailand’s spinners, led by Suleeporn Laomi’s three-wicket haul, triggered an inexplicable Indian collapse to restrict the seven-time champions to 159/9.
But the total proved more than enough as Thailand folded for 65 in 16.1 overs, with Deepti, playing in her landmark 150th T20I, claiming three wickets in seven balls without conceding a run to take her tally to 171 wickets, becoming the outright leading wicket-taker in Women’s T20I cricket.
The 29-year-old veteran allrounder, who became the only the third Indian after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to reach the 150 T20I landmark, had earlier drawn level with Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong at 170 wickets after taking two wickets in the ninth over to leave Thailand reeling at 44/6.
She returned in the 17th over and struck with her very first delivery to dismiss wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai, who had offered Thailand some resistance with a 41-run knock to complete a sensational spell.
Seamers Kranti Goud (1/26) and Nandani Sharma (3/18) removed both Thailand openers inside four overs before left-arm spinner Shree Charani (2/10) and Deepti strangled the chase.
Charani struck twice in successive overs before Deepti produced a double-wicket maiden to virtually end Thailand’s hopes, reducing them to 44/6 inside nine overs.
India, despite their late collapse with the bat, completed a comprehensive victory to begin their Asia Cup campaign in emphatic fashion from Group A.
India next face Hong Kong on Thursday.
For Thailand, this was their first loss after two matches, having begun their campaign with six-run win over Hong Kong on Friday.
Asked to bat, India cruised past 100-run mark in 10 overs, with Shafali smashing her 19th T20I fifty off just 26 balls.
The opener hit eight fours and three sixes in her 36-ball 64 (8×4, 3×6) and looked set to propel India to a 200-plus total before the innings unravelled.
India lost four wickets for 21 runs as Laomi’s variations, drift and flight exposed the middle order.
The 28-year-old leg-spinner finished with 3/26, including two wickets in two balls off Shafali and Richa Ghosh, while off-spinner Sunida Chaturongrattana claimed 2/31.
India had a flying start with Smriti Mandhana (19; 10b) taking on the attack before a brilliant direct hit from Aphisara Suwanchonrathi cut short the Indian vice-captain’s innings.
Thereafter Shafali took on left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong with successive boundaries before advancing down the track to hit Sunida for a six and a four.
She then charged Laomi and cleared long-off for a six and raced to her fifty.
Laomi then struck against the run of play, removing Pratika Rawal, who was cleaned up for 22 off 18 balls by a delivery that darted back in and crashed into her leg stump.
The ODI specialist Rawal was drafted into the playing XI at No 3 for her T20I debut in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues.
Momentum was still with India with 100/2 at the halfway stage.
But captain Harmanpreet Kaur fell for five, edging a sweep to give Putthawong her 170th T20I wicket.
The biggest blow came in the following over when Laomi struck twice in two balls.
Shafali attempted to take on a slower, tossed-up delivery but chipped a return catch to the bowler.
Richa then fell for a duck, driving another full delivery straight to extra cover.
Deepti was run out for five as Laomi capped a superb spell with a sharp throw.
Sunida then compounded India’s troubles in the 17th over, dismissing Bharti Fulmali for 13 and Prema Rawat for six in the space of four balls.
At 137/9 in 17.2 overs India were in danger of being bowled out before Kranti Gaud provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 15 off eight balls to take India past the 150-run mark.
Published – August 31, 2026 12:10 am IST
