India Women completed a dominant campaign by defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup final in Dubai, but head coach Amol Muzumdar believes there is still room for improvement in the team’s fielding. India secured their eighth Asia Cup title with an unbeaten run, yet their catching remained a concern throughout the tournament. The team dropped 13 catches across five matches, including five chances in the final.
Speaking after the Women’s Asia Cup final India won comfortably, Muzumdar acknowledged that the catching mistakes were an area the team needed to address. However, he also noted the amount of work the players had put into improving their fielding and said the coaching staff had already invested significant time in that area.
Amol Muzumdar India Women Fielding Assessment
Amol Muzumdar’s India Women preparations for Asia Cup 2026 involved extensive work on fielding, but the number of missed opportunities during the tournament showed that the team still has work to do. India dominated most matches with their batting and bowling, but dropped catches occasionally gave opponents additional opportunities.
Muzumdar admitted that there was “scope of improvement” but stressed that the players had been working hard. He explained that the team had spent many hours training and making an honest effort to improve their fielding.
The issue became particularly visible in the final against Sri Lanka. India created several chances but failed to hold on to them, allowing the opposition to survive longer than they might have otherwise. Despite those mistakes, India’s bowlers eventually completed the job and bowled Sri Lanka out for 111.
India Women Dropped Catches Remain a Concern
The India Women dropped catches statistic is one of the few negative aspects of an otherwise outstanding tournament. India won all their matches and dominated both the batting and bowling departments, but 13 dropped catches across five games is a number the team will want to improve before the next major assignment.
India’s spin attack played a major role in their success during the tournament. Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma were particularly effective, controlling the middle overs and consistently taking wickets on the Dubai surfaces.
However, better fielding could make India’s bowling attack even more dangerous. Converting more chances would reduce the number of second opportunities given to opposition batters and could make already strong performances even more convincing.
Muzumdar Backs India’s Middle Order
Amol Muzumdar’s latest comments also addressed concerns about India’s middle order, particularly the relatively limited contributions from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and some of the other batters.
Muzumdar dismissed the suggestion that the middle order was a major concern. He pointed towards the excellent opening partnerships produced by Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, explaining that not every player can score heavily in every match.
The coach also revealed that young batter Gunalan Kamalini had initially been expected to bat at No. 3 in the final. However, the match situation meant she eventually came in at No. 7 and still made an impact, scoring an unbeaten 15 from only five balls.
Focus Shifts to Asian Games
India’s attention will now turn towards the Asian Games in Japan, where they will look to defend their gold medal. Muzumdar said the team’s 15 day preparation camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru had focused heavily on stamina and running between wickets because of the expected conditions.
The Asia Cup triumph gives India plenty of confidence, but the Women’s Asia Cup final India performance also highlighted an area that requires attention. Muzumdar’s message is clear: India have made significant progress, but improving their catching will remain a priority as they move towards their next challenge.
