Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026 schedule unveiled, India to face Pakistan on September 5
Dubai, Aug 6
Three-time champions India will renew their storied rivalry with Pakistan on September 5 as the Asian Cricket Council on Thursday unveiled the schedule for the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026, to be played in Dubai from August 28 to September 13.
India, the tournament's most successful side, have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong, China, with the highly anticipated India-Pakistan encounter expected to be the marquee fixture of the league stage.
India will begin their campaign against Thailand on August 30 before taking on Hong Kong, China on September 3. Harmanpreet Kaur's side will then face Pakistan in the much-awaited clash on September 5.
The eight-team competition has been divided into two groups of four. While Group A consists of India, Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong, China, Group B features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and hosts United Arab Emirates.
The tournament will commence on August 28 with Thailand taking on Hong Kong, China at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka will begin their campaign against UAE on August 29, while Bangladesh open their campaign against Indonesia on August 31.
Pakistan's remaining league-stage fixtures will see them face Thailand on September 1 and Hong Kong, China on September 7.
Sri Lanka, the winners of the previous edition held in 2025, will play Indonesia on September 2 and Bangladesh on September 6 after their opening game against UAE. Bangladesh will round off their group-stage fixtures against UAE on September 8, while Indonesia will also take on UAE on September 4.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, with the first semifinal scheduled for September 10 and the second semifinal on September 11.
The winners of the two semifinals will meet in the final on September 13 to decide the continental champions. All 15 matches of the tournament, including both semifinals and the final, will be played under lights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Very excited for the full schedule announcement! Our team looks strong on paper, but honestly we can't take any team lightly. Thailand and Hong Kong have improved a lot in recent years. Also wonderful to see UAE hosting - Dubai International Stadium under lights is always a stunning venue. 🇦🇪
Good scheduling! Our team gets decent rest days between matches. The India-Pakistan match on Sept 5 will definitely have the stadium packed with both sets of fans. I just hope the women's team gets the same hype and media coverage that men's matches usually receive. They deserve it!
Best of luck to our women in blue! 💙 The way our girls played in the previous editions has been phenomenal. I'm especially excited to see our young players perform on the big stage. Also good to see Sri Lanka as defending champions - they've really raised the bar for women's cricket in Asia. 🙌
Looking forward to this tournament. India's group looks manageable but Sri Lanka's definitely a serious contender given they won the last edition. The match between India and Pakistan gets the headlines, but the real fight might be in the semifinals. Regardless, Dubai will be electric in August-September! 🌟
Nice to see the complete plan laid out. One small concern though: why host it in Dubai when we have such great women's cricket venues in India and the region? Also hopefully the matches get prime-time broadcast slots back home, so more fans can watch our women play. But overall, happy with the schedule! 📺