Women’s T20 Asia Cup to begin in Dubai

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has confirmed the schedule for the 2026 Women’s T20 Asia Cup, with the eight-team tournament set to take place in Dubai from Aug. 28 to Sept. 13.

The competition will open with a Group A clash between Hong Kong China and Thailand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which will host all matches under floodlights. Every game will begin at 6:30 p.m. local time.

The group stage’s marquee fixture will see arch-rivals Pakistan and India meet on Sept. 5 in a highly anticipated Group A encounter. Hong Kong China and Thailand complete the four-team group.

Group B features defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and hosts United Arab Emirates. Sri Lanka will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on Sept. 6 in a repeat of one of the tournament’s most competitive rivalries.

Each team will play the other sides in its group once, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semi-finals. The first semi-final, featuring Group A winners against Group B runners-up, will be played on Sept. 10, while the second semi-final between Group B winners and Group A runners-up is scheduled for Sept. 11.

The championship match will be held on Sept. 13 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The 2026 edition marks the sixth Women’s Asia Cup to be played in the T20 format. India are the tournament’s most successful side, having won three titles in 2012, 2016 and 2022.

Sri Lanka enter the competition as defending champions after lifting the trophy in the previous edition, while Bangladesh remain the only other nation besides India and Sri Lanka to have claimed the title, winning the tournament in 2018.

The tournament is expected to provide crucial preparation for Asia’s leading women’s teams ahead of upcoming international assignments while offering emerging nations another opportunity to compete against the region’s established cricketing powers.