India Women made a convincing start to their Women's Asia Cup 2026 campaign with a 94-run victory over Thailand in Dubai, combining Shafali Verma's aggressive batting with a disciplined bowling performance.
Shafali Verma sets the tone for India
India finished their 20 overs at 159/9, with Shafali Verma providing the standout innings. The opener struck 64 from 36 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes as India built early momentum.
India were strongly placed during the first half of the innings but Thailand fought back with the ball. A cluster of wickets prevented India from turning their fast start into a much larger total, with Thailand's bowlers keeping the contest alive heading into the chase.
India's bowlers take control
Thailand were unable to build the partnerships required to challenge India's total and were dismissed for 65. Deepti Sharma delivered an exceptional spell of 3/0, while Nandni Sharma finished with 3/18 as India maintained pressure throughout the innings.
The 94-run margin gave India a comfortable opening victory and an early boost in Group A. The performance also showed India's bowling depth after the batting unit had lost momentum during the latter part of its innings.
What India will take from the Thailand match
The biggest positive was Shafali's ability to attack from the top of the order and adapt to the Dubai conditions. India's bowlers then ensured there was no realistic route back into the match for Thailand.
At the same time, the middle and lower-order collapse gives India an area to review before facing stronger opposition later in the tournament. Converting dominant starts into bigger totals could become increasingly important as the competition progresses.
Hong Kong, China next for India
India's next Group A assignment is against Hong Kong, China on 3 September. India are grouped with Thailand, Hong Kong, China and Pakistan, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the semi-finals.
After beginning with a comprehensive win, India now have an opportunity to build further momentum before their later group-stage challenges.
Information checked through 1 September 2026.