
India will begin their Women's Asia Cup 2026 campaign against Thailand in their Group A match in Dubai on Sunday. India are coming to the continental tournament on the back of a forgettable campaign at the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the group stage.
The Women in Blue finished third in Group A with six points from five matches. They managed to beat Pakistan, Netherlands and Bangladesh, while suffering defeats to South Africa and eventual champions Australia.
For the Women's Asia Cup 2026 tournament too, India are in Group A, with Pakistan and Hong Kong, China being the other two teams. Group B comprises of defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates.
Sri Lanka had beaten India by eight wickets in the final of the 2024 Women's Asia Cup in Dambulla. India, though, are the most successful side in the history of the tournament with seven titles.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side features regulars like Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who will bolster the batting lineup along with Kaur herself and batting all-rounder Deepti Sharma.
India, however, will miss the services of Jemimah Rodrigues, who will miss the tournament due to a hamstring injury.
Renuka Singh Thakur will lead the bowling attack, which also comprises of spinners Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav and Shree Charani. Deepti is in fact the most experienced bowler among all bowlers in the Indian team, with 168 wickets to her name from 149 T20Is.
India women and Thailand women have locked horns thrice in T20Is, with the Women in Blue emerging victorious on all occasions.
Their most recent meeting was during the first semi-final of the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup, wherein India clinched a 74-run win after successfully defending a total of 148/9.
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Women's Asia Cup | India won by 66 runs |
| 2022 | Women's Asia Cup (League stage) | India won by nine wickets |
| 2022 | Women's Asia Cup (Semi-final) | India won by 74 runs |
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud.
Thailand: Naruemol Chaiwai (c), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (wk), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Phannita Maya, Nannaphat Chaihan, Suleeporn Laomi, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Sunida Chaturongrattana.
Fans in India can watch the India Women vs Thailand Women match on the Sony Sports Network TV channels. Live streaming will be available on the Sony LIV app and website on a subscription basis.
PN Vishnu is a contributor with the LiveMint Sports team, where he primarily covers cricket, football and other major sporting events. A passionate sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, Vishnu has been an ardent follower of sports for more than 10 years. While he enjoys covering a wide range of disciplines, his biggest sporting passions remain cricket and football. He is also a devoted supporter of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and Manchester United in English football. <br><br> Vishnu pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, in 2016 and graduated in 2017. Since then, he has built an extensive career in sports journalism, working with leading media organisations including Deccan Chronicle and Firstpost. In 2025, he worked for CricXtasy for six months before joining LiveMint in February 2026. <br><br> Over the years, he has reported extensively on marquee sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Indian Super League (ISL). His reporting has also provided opportunities to interact with some of the game's leading personalities, including India cricketers Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhruv Jurel. <br><br> Away from the newsroom, Vishnu enjoys unwinding with books, discovering new music and binge-watching television series.
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