Women’s Asia Cup 2026: India-Pakistan Clash Set for September 5 in Dubai

The stage is set for another high-voltage India-Pakistan cricket clash, with the arch-rivals scheduled to meet in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup on September 5 in Dubai.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the schedule for the sixth edition of the tournament on Thursday, with the eight-team competition set to begin on August 28 and conclude with the final on September 13.

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan encounter will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, adding another chapter to one of cricket’s most closely followed rivalries.

The tournament will open on August 28 with Hong Kong taking on Thailand in the first Group A match.

Seven-time champions India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Thailand, Hong Kong and China. Group B consists of defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the UAE and Indonesia.

The competition will follow a single round-robin format, with every team playing the other sides in its group. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.

The first semifinal, between A1 and B2, will be played on September 10, while the second semifinal, featuring A2 and B1, is scheduled for September 11. The tournament will reach its climax with the final on September 13.

In Group B, defending champions Sri Lanka will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on September 6, while hosts UAE and Indonesia will also battle for a place in the knockout stage.

India enter the tournament as the most successful team in Women’s Asia Cup history, having won the title seven times. Their four ODI-format triumphs came between 2004 and 2008, while they lifted the T20I title in 2012, 2016 and 2022.

Sri Lanka are the reigning champions, while Bangladesh claimed their only title in 2018.

With India and Pakistan drawn in the same group, the September 5 fixture is expected to attract enormous attention and could become one of the biggest matches of the tournament.