India-Pakistan clash set for September 5 as eight teams prepare for continental tournament
DUBAI: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has officially announced the schedule for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026, with the tournament set to take place in Dubai from August 28 to September 13. Eight teams will compete for the continental title, with all matches scheduled under floodlights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The tournament will begin on August 28 with a Group A match between Hong Kong China and Thailand. One of the most anticipated fixtures of the competition will see arch-rivals India and Pakistan face each other on September 5 in a high-profile Group A encounter.
Each match will begin at 6:30pm local time, while the final is scheduled for September 13. Organizers expect the tournament to showcase the growing popularity and competitiveness of women’s cricket across Asia.
Group stage to determine semifinalists
Group A features India, Pakistan, Hong Kong China and Thailand, while Group B includes defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and hosts United Arab Emirates.
During the group stage, every team will play each of its group opponents once. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, with the first semifinal set for September 10 between the Group A winners and the Group B runners-up. The second semifinal, featuring the Group B winners against the Group A runners-up, will take place on September 11.
The winners of both semifinals will meet in the championship final on September 13.
India remains tournament’s most successful team
The 2026 edition marks the sixth Women’s Asia Cup played in the T20 format. India enters the tournament as the most successful side in the competition’s history, having won the title in 2012, 2016 and 2022.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will defend the championship after lifting the trophy in the previous edition, while Bangladesh remains the only other nation to have claimed the title, winning the tournament in 2018.
The ACC expects another highly competitive event as Asia’s leading women’s teams battle for regional supremacy, with the India-Pakistan contest and the knockout rounds expected to attract significant attention from cricket fans across the region.
