If there is a definition of dominance in a tournament, look no further than India’s performance in the Women’s Asia Cup. Barring 2018 and 2024, India have won every single edition and have made it to the final in every single edition. They were once blown away by Bangladesh and then in the last edition, Sri Lanka chased down a stiff target to earn their maiden crown.

Formidable India

However, in the UAE, where dew plays a massive role and the weather is humid, there is always something for both the pacers and the spinners. India boast of an impressive pace battery and a formidable spin department, which is good enough to topple any side in the world.

Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy and Nandani Sharma will share the pace responsibilities, while the veteran Deepti Sharma and the talented Shree Charani are more than equipped to dismantle any batting line-up in the world.

While losing Jemimah Rodrigues is a blow for India, they still boast of impressive batters with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana leading the way at the top, with Harmanpreet Kaur lending her valuable experience in the middle-order.

For India, it is a question of taking it one game at a time, as their skipper clearly mentioned ahead of the tournament.

“We are not putting any focus on one particular team, which is going to be tough for us. All the teams have been doing well and our focus is to play good cricket and not to take any team easily. Our main focus is just playing cricket, other than giving focus to the other impact of the game,” Harmanpreet said ahead of the tournament.

“Asia Cup is a platform where you can really test yourself and put yourself under a lot of pressure to perform at a level which you expect a lot from your team.”

Also Read: India Women Step Up Asia Cup 2026 Preparations in Dubai Ahead of Thailand Opener

The Thai threat

However, India cannot afford to take Thailand lightly. Not only are they coming off a win in their opening encounter against Hong Kong, but they also have more than once proved that they cannot be taken lightly. In 2022, India played Thailand in the semi-final of the Asia Cup, and brushed them aside quite easily.

While that was a match to forget, what Thailand will not forget is the sort of run they went on after losing the first two matches. They beat Pakistan, UAE and Malaysia to qualify for the semis, which is a momentous achievement for them.

In the first match of the ongoing tournament, Thailand held their nerve to claim a six-wicket victory over Hong Kong. Their skipper Naruemol Chaiwai led the way with an impressive 31-ball 43 on a slow Dubai pitch and their bowlers too put in a thorough performance to restrict the opposition.

Moreover, Thailand have the highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20I history as Thipatcha Putthawong overtook Deepti Sharma in the previous game. The left-arm spinner could prove to be more than a handful against the Indian batters.

While India are favourites, that does not mean Thailand can be brushed aside with ease. It is another chance for this Thai side to script history and who better to do it against than the most successful side in the tournament’s history.

Likely XIs:

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh, N Shree Charani/ Kranti Gaud

Thailand Women: Naruemol Chaiwai (c), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (wk), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Phannita Maya, Nannaphat Chaihan, Suleeporn Laomi, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Sunida Chaturongrattana

For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on Instagram, X and YouTube