India Women Begin Asia Cup With Big Win Over Thailand

India Women made a strong start to their 2026 Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign, defeating Thailand by 94 runs in their opening match on Sunday.

India’s batting was not entirely convincing, but Shafali Verma provided the spark the team needed. The opener smashed 64 from 36 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes, as India posted 159 for nine in 20 overs.

India lost wickets at regular intervals after the early momentum, leaving Shafali to carry much of the responsibility. Her aggressive innings helped India reach a competitive total despite the middle order failing to make a major impact.

The real difference came with the ball. India’s bowlers kept Thailand under pressure throughout the chase and restricted them comfortably to secure a convincing 94 run victory.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that India’s batting could have been better and praised Thailand for putting up a strong bowling effort. She said several Indian batters threw away their wickets by playing poor shots after getting a decent start.

Despite India’s victory, Harmanpreet credited Thailand for their performance and said their bowlers actually put India under greater pressure than expected. The Indian captain’s comments reflected the team’s awareness that there is room for improvement despite the comfortable result.

With the opening win secured, India will look to build on its bowling strength while seeking greater consistency from the batting unit in the matches ahead.