Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 to start August 28 in Dubai, India face Pakistan on September 5

The Asian Cricket Council has confirmed that the sixth edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup will begin on August 28, 2026, in Dubai. The tournament runs until September 13, 2026, with all matches scheduled under lights at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, starting at 6:30pm local time.

Eight teams will compete across two groups. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, Hong Kong China and Thailand. Group B features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia and UAE. The tournament opener on August 28 will see Hong Kong China take on Thailand in a Group A fixture.

India and Pakistan, placed in the same group, are scheduled to meet on September 5, 2026, in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the group stage.

What are the key group-stage fixtures to watch?

With India and Pakistan both in Group A, their September 5 clash is the standout group-stage match. Each team in Group A will face the other three sides in a round-robin format, with the top two finishers advancing to the semi-finals.

In Group B, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are among the sides to watch. The two teams are scheduled to meet on September 6, 2026. Sri Lanka enter the tournament as defending champions, having won the 2024 edition. India have won three previous editions of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, in 2012, 2016 and 2022, while Bangladesh claimed the title in 2018.

All eight teams play their group matches at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, giving the tournament a single-venue format across the group stage.

How does qualification for the semi-finals and final work?

The top two teams from each group at the end of the round-robin stage will qualify for the semi-finals. The semi-finals are scheduled for September 10 and September 11, 2026. The first semi-final on September 10 will be contested between the Group A winner and the Group B runner-up. The second semi-final on September 11 will feature the Group B winner against the Group A runner-up.

Because India and Pakistan are in the same group, only one of them can finish as Group A winner and the other as Group A runner-up. Given both sides are in Group A, a second India-Pakistan meeting in the knockout stage would only be possible in the final.

The final is set for September 13, 2026, at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, bringing the tournament to a close seventeen days after it begins.