
The Indian women's cricket team are gearing up for what will be their record 10th final of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday. India qualified for the final with a 40-run win over Bangladesh in the first semi-final in Dubai on Thursday, and will await the winner of the second semi-final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
However, despite maintaining a 100 per cent record in the lead-up to the final, fielding issues still remain for the Women in Blue.
In the semi-final against Bangladesh, the Indians dropped as many as four catching opportunities.
However, Deepti isn't reading too much into India's fielding concerns, and admits that the Women in Blue are geared up for Sunday's final.
“As a team in fielding, we have been doing good [work in training]. We are doing practice sessions, taking catches, as well as [ground] fielding also,” Deepti said at the post-match press conference in Dubai on Thursday.
“I think that it will be a day here or a day there; it happens. But we are always up for the finals as a team in all three departments,” the 29-year-old added.
The all-rounder was once again on top of her game against Bangladesh, as she scored 13 runs from six deliveries before registering figures of 3/26.
“Whenever I get an opportunity in batting, I always trust that I can contribute in batting also. So I’m glad (about the) few balls I got to hit today.
“It always gives me confidence. Either bowling first or batting first doesn’t matter to me, but I always contribute as an all-rounder for the team," Deepti said regarding her performance.
India will face either Sri Lanka or Pakistan in the final on Sunday, as the two rivals go head-to-head in the second semi-final on Friday. When asked which team she would prefer facing in the final, she took a neutral stand. “Actually, it depends on their result," she said.
“Our team does not take any team lightly. Does not matter, like maybe Sri Lanka, Pakistan, whoever comes in the final. We always think as a team about how we can do better in every game," she added.
India are the most successful side in the Women's Asia Cup, with seven titles to their name. The only two times India have lost in the Women's Asia Cup final so far were against Bangladesh in 2018 and Sri Lanka in 2024.
PN Vishnu is a contributor with the LiveMint Sports team, where he primarily covers cricket, football and other major sporting events. A passionate sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, Vishnu has been an ardent follower of sports for more than 10 years. While he enjoys covering a wide range of disciplines, his biggest sporting passions remain cricket and football. He is also a devoted supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and Manchester United in English football. <br><br> Vishnu pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, in 2016 and graduated in 2017. Since then, he has built an extensive career in sports journalism, working with leading media organisations including Deccan Chronicle and Firstpost. In 2025, he worked for CricXtasy for six months before joining LiveMint in February 2026. <br><br> Over the years, he has reported extensively on marquee sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Indian Super League (ISL). His reporting has also provided opportunities to interact with some of the game's leading personalities, including India cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhruv Jurel. <br><br> Away from the newsroom, Vishnu enjoys unwinding with books, discovering new music and binge-watching television series.
Stay updated with all the latest news and insights on Cricket, Football, and Tennis at Livemint Sports.
Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.