India Women began their India vs Thailand Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign by defeating Thailand Women by 94 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. After being asked to bat first, India posted 159 for 9 in 20 overs before their bowlers dismissed Thailand for just 65 in 16.1 overs.
Shafali Verma was the star with the bat, while Deepti Sharma produced a record-breaking spell with the ball. The victory gave India an ideal start to their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign and showed their strength with both bat and ball.
Shafali Verma Leads India’s Batting Charge
Thailand Women won the toss and elected to field first, but Shafali Verma immediately put pressure on their bowlers. The opener reached her 19th T20I half-century in only 26 balls and continued attacking throughout her innings.
Shafali eventually scored 64 runs from 36 deliveries, hitting eight fours and three sixes. She received good support from Smriti Mandhana, who scored 19 from 10 balls, while debutant Pratika Rawal contributed 22 from 18 deliveries.
India crossed the 100-run mark in the 10th over and appeared set for a much bigger total. However, Thailand fought back strongly during the middle overs and managed to put pressure on India’s batting lineup.
Thailand Bowlers Trigger India Collapse
Leg-spinner Suleeporn Laomi was Thailand’s best bowler, finishing with three wickets for 26 runs. She played an important role in breaking India’s momentum and was involved in the dismissal of Shafali.
Richa Ghosh was dismissed with the first ball she faced, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur fell for just five runs. India’s middle order struggled to deal with Thailand’s bowling and the team slipped from 108 for 2 to 137 for 9.
Kranti Gaud then provided a valuable late contribution. She remained unbeaten on 15 from eight balls and helped India reach 159 for 9 after 20 overs.
Deepti Sharma Creates T20I History
India’s bowlers then produced a dominant performance during Thailand’s chase. Deepti Sharma was almost impossible to score against, taking three wickets without conceding a single run in 1.1 overs.
Her extraordinary figures helped India dismantle Thailand’s batting order quickly. Deepti also reached two major milestones during the match. She became the highest wicket-taker in Women’s T20I history with 171 wickets, moving past Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong.
She also became the leading wicket-taker in Women’s T20 Asia Cup history with 29 wickets.
Thailand Struggle During Chase
Thailand found it difficult to build partnerships against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Nannapat Koncharoenkai provided the only significant resistance, scoring 41 runs from 48 balls.
However, none of Thailand’s other batters managed to reach double figures. Nandani Sharma took three wickets for 18 runs, while Shree Charani claimed two wickets for 10 runs.
Thailand were eventually bowled out for 65 in 16.1 overs, giving India a 94-run victory.
IND W vs THA W Scorecard and Result
The IND W vs THA W scorecard showed India finishing on 159 for 9, with Shafali’s 64 the highest score. Thailand were dismissed for 65, with Koncharoenkai’s 41 standing out.
The India Women vs Thailand Women highlights included Shafali’s aggressive half-century, Thailand’s middle order fightback and Deepti’s historic three-wicket spell.
With this victory, India made an impressive start to the India vs Thailand Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign. Shafali was named Player of the Match, while Deepti’s record-breaking performance added another major moment to India’s opening win.
