{
  "id": 4476766,
  "title": "Shafali stars with bat as India thrash Thailand by 94 runs in Asia Cup opener",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/shafali-stars-with-bat-as-india-thrash-thailand-by-94-runs-in-asia",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T18:35:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/shafali-stars-with-bat-as-india-thrash-thailand-by-94-runs-in-asia-cup-opener-10856147/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's Women's cricket team began their Asia Cup campaign with a resounding 94-run victory over Thailand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Asked to bat first, India amassed 159/9, but could only manage 65 in response as Thailand were dismissed for just 65. Shafali Verma played a pivotal role, scoring an impressive 64 runs off 44 balls. However, the team's reliance on their openers was evident, a fault that had troubled them during the Women's T20 World Cup. Despite some early wickets, Shafali kept the momentum going, but the innings faltered after her departure. Deepti Sharma, India's leading wicket-taker in women's T20Is, took three wickets, including a crucial one in the Powerplay, and helped India post a competitive total. The bowling, led by Nandani Sharma, was solid, with Nandani's figures of 4-0-18-3 being particularly impactful.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "India vs Thailand Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Live score: Smriti run out for 19",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/india-vs-thailand-womens-asia-cup-2026-live-score-smriti-run-out-for",
        "published": "2026-08-30T14:22:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Shafali Verma Smashes 50 Off 26 Balls As India Make Flying Start Against Thailand In Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/shafali-verma-smashes-50-off-26-balls-as-india-make-flying-start",
        "published": "2026-08-30T15:15:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma star as India open Asia Cup with big win over Thailand",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/shafali-verma-deepti-sharma-star-as-india-open-asia-cup-with-big-win",
        "published": "2026-08-30T18:12:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}