India face Hong Kong in Women's T20 Asia Cup as batting concerns linger
India take on Hong Kong in Dubai on Thursday in their second Group A match of the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026, entering as clear favourites after a big win over Thailand, though a batting collapse in that game has raised questions ahead of Saturday's clash with Pakistan.
Second match in Dubai
India's women's team plays Hong Kong at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, September 3, in their second Group A fixture of the Women's T20 Asia Cup 2026. The match started at 8:00 PM Indian Standard Time, according to News On AIR. Hong Kong captain Natasha Miles won the toss and chose to field first, saying conditions favoured bowling and that her side's plan was to restrict India to around 140-150 runs before chasing. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she would have batted first anyway and that adapting quickly to the pitch would be key. India kept an unchanged XI from their opening win, while Hong Kong made two changes, including Miles' own return to the side. (Note: the Times of India's headline names Mariyam Bibi as Hong Kong's captain and toss-winner, but the article's own text and team list identify Natasha Miles as captain.)
A big win with a batting wobble
India beat Thailand by 94 runs in their opener. But the batting had a rough patch: SportsAdda reports India were 91 for 2 at the point of collapse, while Times of India puts it at 101 for 2; after that, seven wickets fell - for 46 runs according to SportsAdda, or 29 runs according to Times of India - with India finishing on 159 for 9. Shafali Verma's 64 off 36 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, was the innings' foundation. With the ball, Deepti Sharma took 3 for 0 in her 150th T20I appearance, becoming women's T20I cricket's leading wicket-taker and only the third Indian to reach 150 T20I caps, after Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana. Thailand were bowled out for 65 in 16.1 overs.
Hong Kong no pushover
Hong Kong lost their own opener to Thailand by just six runs, chasing a target SportsAdda lists as 121 and Times of India as 120, finishing on 114 for 7. Marina Lamplough took 4 for 11 with the ball and then hit 22 off 11 balls, while Kary Chan top-scored with 28 off 20 balls.
Standings and what's next
After round one, India lead Group A on two points with a net run rate of 4.700, ahead of Pakistan, Thailand and bottom-placed, winless Hong Kong, according to SportsAdda. Two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. India face Pakistan in Dubai on Saturday, September 5, in what is expected to be the group's decisive match.
Elsewhere in the tournament
In Wednesday's Group B match, Sri Lanka beat Indonesia by 75 runs, posting 124 for 7 before bowling Indonesia out for 49 in 18.3 overs. Chamari Athapaththu, who took seven wickets, was named player of the match.
