Thailand, Malaysia and China qualify for Asian Games women's cricket
Kuala Lumpur, May 31
Thailand, Malaysia and China have secured qualification for the women's cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games after emerging as the top three teams in the qualifying event staged in the city between May 26 and 31.
The trio will join the already-qualified teams at the continental showpiece, which is scheduled to be held across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya in Japan during September and October next year.
Thailand enjoyed a flawless campaign in the preliminary stage, topping Group A with victories over both Malaysia and Hong Kong. Despite losing to Thailand earlier in the tournament, Malaysia bounced back strongly, overcoming Hong Kong to advance to the knockout rounds.
In the semi-finals, Thailand produced a dominant display against China, bundling them out for just 53 before cruising to an emphatic 83-run win. Malaysia also booked their place in the final after edging past Nepal by two wickets in a tense chase of 127, reaching the target with eight deliveries to spare.
China claimed the final qualification spot by defeating Nepal in a rain-shortened third-place playoff. The match was decided under the DLS method, with China securing a five-wicket victory.
The final saw Thailand underline their superiority once again. After restricting Malaysia to only 54 runs, Thailand comfortably chased down the target with nine wickets intact.
Women's cricket at the 2026 Asian Games will feature eight teams. Alongside hosts Japan, automatic qualification has been awarded to the four Asian Full Members - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Thailand, Malaysia and China complete the field.
Thailand head into the Games as the highest-ranked of the three qualifiers, sitting 12th in the ICC Women's T20I rankings. Malaysia occupy 28th position, while China are ranked 42nd.
The qualification process for the men's competition is still underway. Apart from Japan, the five Full Members from the region - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - qualified directly, while four teams will join them from the qualifiers, being contested by Nepal, China, Malaysia, Qatar, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Oman and Singapore.
— IANS
Reader Comments
China qualifying is interesting - they're ranked 42nd but still managed to beat Nepal. Shows how competitive women's cricket is becoming. But India should still be favourites for gold given our depth.
Malaysia reaching the final is a fantastic story. Chasing 127 against Nepal with only 2 wickets in hand shows real character. Women's cricket in Southeast Asia is definitely on the rise. Hope India can help them grow through bilateral series.
Honestly a bit disappointed that India didn't need to qualify. Would have been good to see our team tested against these emerging nations. Still, looking forward to seeing Smriti Mandhana and co. in action at the Asian Games! 🏏
54 all out for Malaysia in the final against Thailand? That's proper dominance. Thailand are clearly a class above the rest of the qualifiers. Could be a dark horse in the actual Games if they keep improving. Good for Asian cricket overall.
Women's cricket has come a long way. From just a handful of teams to 8 nations competing at the Asian Games. And with Thailand, Malaysia and China qualifying, the sport is truly becoming global. Kudos to the organisers for giving these teams a platform!
S Siddharth J India, We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.