India Women made a commanding start to their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign in Dubai, defeating Thailand by 94 runs after an impressive all-round performance led by Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma.
Batting first, India posted 159 for nine in 20 overs before their bowlers took complete control, dismissing Thailand for just 65 in 16.1 overs.
Shafali Verma Powers India to 159
India’s innings was led by Shafali Verma, who struck an aggressive 64 off 36 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. Her attacking innings put India in a strong position at 108 for two. However, Thailand staged an impressive comeback with the ball, triggering a middle-order collapse that prevented India from posting a significantly bigger total.
Suleeporn Laomi was Thailand’s standout bowler, taking three wickets as India eventually finished on 159 for nine. The collapse will give India something to work on, particularly with tougher matches ahead in the tournament.
Deepti Sharma Leads Dominant Bowling Display
Thailand needed 160 for victory but struggled from the beginning against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Nannapat Koncharoenkai offered resistance, but wickets continued to fall around her. Thailand were eventually bowled out for 65, handing India a comprehensive 94-run victory.
Deepti Sharma produced remarkable figures of three wickets without conceding a run, while Nandani Sharma also claimed three wickets. Shree Charani added another two as India completely controlled the chase. The match also marked the T20I debut of Pratika Rawal, who scored 22 from 18 deliveries. Rawal was brought into India’s Asia Cup squad after Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
India Make Strong Start Ahead of Pakistan Clash
India are competing in Group A alongside Thailand, Pakistan and Hong Kong. The emphatic opening victory gives Harmanpreet Kaur’s team an early advantage while also providing a significant boost to their net run rate. Attention will now increasingly turn toward the highly anticipated India-Pakistan encounter in Dubai on September 5.
India will enter their upcoming matches encouraged by their dominant bowling performance, although the middle-order batting collapse against Thailand remains an area to address. For now, India have delivered the ideal start to their Asia Cup campaign: 159/9 followed by Thailand’s 65 all out, securing a convincing 94-run victory.
