Women's Asia Cup 2026: Can India qualify for semi-finals with a win over Hong Kong?
India's Women's Asia Cup semi-final qualification, today's India vs Hong Kong match, Group A points table, NRR standings, and the India-Pakistan semis scenario.
Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will take on Hong Kong, China in their second Group A match of the 2026 Women's Asia Cup tournament in Dubai on Thursday. India began the tournament with a thumping 94-run win over Thailand in Dubai on Sunday.
A majority of the batters failed to convert starts, but opener Shafali Verma stole the show, slamming 64 runs from 36 deliveries to take India to 159/9.
In reply, Thailand were bowled out for just 65, with wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai top-scoring with 41 runs. The rest of the batters fell for single-figure scores.
For India, Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers as she took three wickets and didn't concede a run in 1.1 overs. Nandni Sharma registered figures of 3/18 whereas Shree Charani picked figures of 2/10.
Kranti Gaud registered figures of 1/26. The Indian batters will be looking to put up an improved performance against Hong Kong, China, as they aim for a semi-final spot in the Women's Asia Cup.
Will India qualify for the semi-finals with a win over Hong Kong, China?
The simple answer is yes, India will qualify for the semi-finals of the Women's Asia Cup if they beat Hong Kong, China on Thursday.
Updated Group A standings
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | NR/Tied | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +4.700 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +1.750 |
| Thailand | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2.050 |
| Hong Kong, China | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.300 |
While India and Pakistan occupy the top two spots in Group A currently with two points each, Thailand, in third place, also has two points to its name. However, Thailand have played all three of their group stage matches, meaning that their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals have diminished.
Should India beat both Hong Kong, China on Thursday and then Pakistan on Saturday, the Women in Blue will be confirmed as group winners and will meet the second-placed Group B team in the last-four stage.
Should India beat Hong Kong, China and lose to Pakistan, the seven-time champions will still qualify for the semi-finals with four points. The same will be the case if India loses to Hong Kong and then beats Pakistan.
If India loses both the matches against Hong Kong, China and Pakistan, then it will come down to the Net Run-Rate (NRR) as there would be multiple teams on two points. However, if India's current NRR of +4.700 holds, and it doesn't slip much, then the Women in Blue would be at a significant advantage even if they lose both their matches.
India last won the Women’s Asia Cup in 2022 when they defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Sylhet. In the 2024 final in Dambulla, Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets.