After the Asia Cup, the team will travel to Japan for the Asian Games, where they will again be expected to challenge for the gold medal
Published: August 30, 2026, 9:30 AM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/india-vs-thailand-acc-womens-asia-cup-2026-preview-when-and-where-to-watch-all-you-need-to-know-8512683/
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur with head coach Amol Muzumdar during a training session ahead of the one-off Test match against England in Beckenham, England, on Monday, July 6, 2026(Photo: IANS/X/@BCCIWomen)
India will begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on Sunday, with Harmanpreet Kaur’s side looking to put a poor run in the shortest format behind them.
India have been one of the strongest teams in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia CupThey have won the tournament three times in the five editions played in the T20 format since 2016-17However, their recent results have raised questions about the team’s form, especially against the stronger sides.
India have lost nine of their 16 T20Is this yearTheir latest defeat came against Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup, a result that ended their campaign in the group stageThe loss added to concerns over India’s ability to perform consistently in important matches.
Harmanpreet’s own form has also been under the scannerThe India captain played an important knock against Australia in the World Cup, but her overall campaign was inconsistentQuestions over her future in T20 cricket have also continued, making the Asia Cup an important tournament for both the captain and the team.
India are in Group A alongside Thailand, Hong Kong and PakistanAfter the Asia Cup, the team will travel to Japan for the Asian Games, where they will again be expected to challenge for the gold medal.
The absence of Jemimah Rodrigues is another issue India will have to deal withThe middle-order batter will miss both the Asia Cup and Asian Games, leaving India without one of their most reliable battersPratika Rawal has been added to the squad, but India will need their other middle-order batters to take more responsibility.
At the top, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma remain a dangerous opening combinationThe bigger concern will be what follows themIndia need their batters at No3 and below to keep the scoring rate moving and finish innings strongly.
Fielding will also be under focusIndia struggled in this area during their last T20 campaign, with dropped catches and mistakes near the boundary costing them runs and matches.
Deepti Sharma will lead the spin department, with Shree Charani, Radha Yadav and Prema Rawat providing supportThe pace attack has experience in Renuka Singh Thakur, while Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy and Nandani Sharma add more options.
Thailand will enter the match with some confidence after beating Hong Kong in their opening gameThey posted only 120 for nine, but their bowlers and fielders defended the total well, restricting Hong Kong to 114 for seven.
When and where to watch India vs Thailand?
The India Vs Thailand, Women’s Asia Cup 2026 match will start from 8:00PM (IST) onwards and fans can watch the match live on the Sony LIV app/website as well as the Sony Sports network.
