India Women's Asia Cup: India is set to begin its Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign today, with Thailand standing between the seven-time champions and a winning start at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The tournament got underway on August 28, but India will enter the competition for the first time today at 8 PM IST. While their record in the continental tournament makes them one of the leading favourites, their recent T20I results have offered reasons for caution.
The Women's Asia Cup has been held since 2004, with nine editions completed before this year's tournament.
India have an extraordinary record when it comes to their opening fixture: regardless of whether they eventually reached the final, they have always won their first match of the competition.
The Women in Blue have lost nine of their 16 T20 matches this year, while their T20 World Cup campaign ended at the group stage.
Harmanpreet Kaur's side will therefore be looking to put those struggles behind them as they begin their latest Asia Cup title bid.
In the 2024 edition, India began their campaign by defeating Pakistan by seven wickets. This time, Thailand provide the opposition. India are currently ranked third in women's T20 cricket, while Thailand sit 12th in the rankings.
Thailand also arrive with some confidence after defeating Hong Kong by six runs in their opening match.
India will have to deal with a notable absence during the tournament after Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out with an injury.
Pratika Rawal has been brought into the squad as her replacement, leaving India to find a way to compensate for the loss of an important middle-order option.
Rodrigues' ability to control an innings while accelerating when required has made her a valuable part of India's batting unit. Her absence could therefore place additional responsibility on the rest of the middle order.
India remain the most successful side in Women's Asia Cup history, having won the tournament seven times and reached the final on every occasion.
However, the last two editions have ended in disappointment.
Bangladesh defeated India by three wickets in the 2018 final, while Sri Lanka secured an eight-wicket victory in the 2024 title clash.
With Thailand first up, India have an opportunity to begin another title campaign positively and potentially restore their dominance in the tournament.
