Women's Asia Cup 2026 Opens in Dubai With Four Associate Sides in the Draw

Four of the eight teams at the Women's Asia Cup 2026 are Associate Members. The tournament starts on 28 August at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It ends with a final on 13 September. Hong Kong play Thailand in the opening match. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the only Full Members in the draw.

Every match is at one venue. All of them are under lights. The format is Twenty20 throughout. The Asian Cricket Council has spread 15 games across 17 days.

Half the draw sits outside the Full Members

The eight teams are split into two groups of four. Two Associate Members sit in each group.

• Group A: India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Thailand
• Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia

Each side plays three group matches. The top two in each group reach the semi-finals on 10 and 11 September. Twelve group games, two semi-finals and a final make 15 in all.

Three fixtures that count for the associates

Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the UAE each get three guaranteed matches against ranked opposition, on a full international square, with the scorecards going into the record. Thailand and the UAE have built women's programmes on that kind of exposure. The UAE have a form of home advantage. Dubai is where they play.

Bangladesh set a target in Group B

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty has been direct. "Our main target this time is to play in the final. We have played in the semi-finals before and then been knocked out," she said in comments carried by the ICC.

She also spelled out the group-stage calculation. "The group-stage matches are very important because if we become group champions, we will not have to face India in the semi-final." Bangladesh open against Indonesia. Sri Lanka and the UAE follow.

Nahida Akter is vice-captain. The 15 player squad was announced on 17 August. Sri Lanka arrive as holders, having won the 2024 edition.

The calendar beyond Dubai

The run does not end in Dubai. The Asian Games women's competition follows in Nisshin, Japan, from 17 to 22 September. It is an eight team draw. Bangladesh open against China. Sultana Joty has linked the two. "If we can play the Asia Cup in a better way, it will also create a big opportunity for us in the Asian Games," she said.

The two events sit four days apart. A side that reaches the Dubai final on 13 September will have little more than a travel week before the Asian Games opens in Japan.

India play Pakistan on 5 September. That is the fixture the broadcast will follow. For the four associate sides the tournament is a run of results against ranked opposition, gathered on one square, inside a fortnight.