India Women began their Women's Asia Cup 2026 campaign in style with a comprehensive 94-run victory over Thailand Women at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Asked to bat first, India posted a competitive total of 159/9 in their 20 overs.
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Explosive opener Shafali Verma led the charge with a scintillating knock of 64 runs from just 36 balls, featuring eight boundaries and three towering sixes. Despite a blistering start that saw India cruise past the 100-run mark at the halfway stage, a disciplined Thai bowling attack—spearheaded by Suleeporn Laomi, who claimed 3/26—triggered a dramatic middle-order collapse. A valuable late cameo from Kranti Gaud (15* off 8 balls) pushed India closer to the 160-run threshold.
In response, Thailand's chase faltered early and never recovered against a lethal Indian spin assault. Barring wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai, who fought a lone battle with a gritty 41, no other Thai batter reached double figures as they were bundled out for a meager 65 in 16.1 overs.
Deepti Sharma spearheaded the destruction with a sensational spell of 3/0 in 1.1 overs, a milestone match where she also surpassed Thipatcha Putthawong to become the leading wicket-taker in women's T20I history with 171 scalps. Nandni Sharma (3/18) and Shree Charani (2/10) provided stellar support to complete the rout. Shafali Verma earned the Player of the Match honors for her explosive half-century.
