NewsIndia

By Ishaan Kapoor — 6 August 2026 — 4 min read

Women’s Asia Cup 2026 schedule announced

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has released the schedule for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026, which is set to take place in Dubai from August 28 to September 13. The tournament will feature eight teams competing for the continental title. All 15 matches, including the semifinals and the final, will be played under lights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India, who have won the tournament three times, are placed in Group A. Their group rivals include Pakistan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, China. The highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for September 5, and is expected to be a key fixture in the league stage.

The tournament will commence with a match between Thailand and Hong Kong, China on August 28. Other opening fixtures include Sri Lanka against UAE on August 29, and Bangladesh facing Indonesia on August 31.

India’s campaign and squad details

India will begin their quest for a fourth title on August 30 against Thailand. Following this, they will play Hong Kong, China on September 3 before their clash with Pakistan. The Indian squad for the Women’s Asia Cup has been largely retained from the team selected for the upcoming Asian Games.

The 15-member squad, announced recently, sees one change from the Asian Games selection. All-rounder Shreyanka Patil has been omitted as she continues her recovery from an ankle ligament injury that affected her ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign. Her place in the squad has been taken by leg-spinning all-rounder Prema Rawat.

Prema Rawat, who is 24 years old, was previously drafted into the World Cup squad as a replacement for Shreyanka Patil. She made her World Cup debut against South Africa in Manchester, where she contributed three runs and bowled two overs, conceding 21 runs without taking a wicket.

The Indian team will continue to be led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. The squad also features experienced players such as Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Renuka Thakur. The selection of 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini as the reserve wicketkeeper, ahead of Yastika Bhatia, has been a notable talking point, despite Bhatia’s century in a recent Test match at Lord’s.

The full India squad includes: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), G Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Nandni Sharma, and Kranti Gaud. The reserves named are Pratika Rawal, Uma Chetry (wicketkeeper), Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare, and Minnu Mani.

Tournament structure and other teams

The eight-team competition is divided into two groups of four. While Group A comprises India, Pakistan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, China, Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and hosts United Arab Emirates.

Sri Lanka, the champions of the previous edition held in 2025, will play Indonesia on September 2 and Bangladesh on September 6, following their opening game against UAE. Bangladesh will conclude their group-stage matches against UAE on September 8. Meanwhile, Indonesia will also face UAE on September 4.

Pakistan’s remaining league-stage fixtures after their match against India will see them play Thailand on September 1 and Hong Kong, China on September 7. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The first semifinal is scheduled for September 10, with the second semifinal taking place on September 11.

The winners of these two semifinals will then compete in the final match on September 13 to determine the continental champions. This tournament is expected to serve as crucial preparation for the Asian Games in Japan, which are scheduled from September 17 to 22.

Currently, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, along with Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Richa Ghosh, are participating in The Hundred in England.

Source: telanganatoday.com