Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 Schedule Announced: India to Face Pakistan on September 5

August 6, 2026

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has officially announced the schedule for the sixth edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which will take place in Dubai from August 28 to September 13, 2026. The eight-team tournament features a high-profile group-stage match between India and Pakistan scheduled for September 5, 2026.

What Happened

According to details released by the Asian Cricket Council, all matches in the upcoming tournament will be played under lights at a single venue, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Fixtures are scheduled to commence at 6:30 pm local time across the seventeen-day competition.

Eight teams have been divided into two groups of four for the initial phase:

Group A: India, Pakistan, Hong Kong China, and Thailand.
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The tournament begins on August 28, 2026, with a Group A match between Hong Kong China and Thailand.

Key Highlights

Single-Venue Format: Every fixture across the group stage and knockout rounds will be hosted at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India vs Pakistan: The two Group A rivals will face each other on September 5, 2026.
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: The two prominent Group B sides are set to meet on September 6, 2026.
Defending Champions: Sri Lanka will enter the competition as the reigning champions after securing the title in the 2024 edition.
Tournament Pedigree: India previously won the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in 2012, 2016, and 2022, while Bangladesh lifted the trophy in 2018.

Why This Matters

The group allocation creates clear pathways for the knockout phase. Each group will follow a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals.

Because India and Pakistan are placed together in Group A, only one can finish as the group winner and the other as the runner-up. Under the tournament’s semi-final bracket structure, a second match between India and Pakistan would only occur if both sides successfully navigate the semi-finals to reach the final.

What to Watch Next

Following the round-robin group phase, the tournament transitions into the knockout matches:

Semi-Final 1: September 10, 2026 (Group A Winner vs Group B Runner-Up).
Semi-Final 2: September 11, 2026 (Group B Winner vs Group A Runner-Up).
Final: September 13, 2026, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 start and end?

The tournament begins on August 28, 2026, and concludes with the final on September 13, 2026.

Where will the matches be held?

All tournament fixtures will be played under lights at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, starting at 6:30 pm local time.

When is the India vs Pakistan match?

India and Pakistan are scheduled to play their Group A fixture on September 5, 2026.

Which teams are participating in the tournament?

The eight participating teams are India, Pakistan, Hong Kong China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and UAE.

How does the knockout stage work?

The top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals on September 10 and September 11. The winners of those two semi-finals advance to the final on September 13.

Source: CricTracker.