India Vs Thailand Highlights, Women's Asia Cup 2026: Women In Blue Secure 95-Run Victory Riding On Bowlers' Outing

Greetings, we are back with another live blog -- India vs Thailand Group A match of the Women's Asia Cup 2026. Stay tuned for live updates.

Despite walking into the tournament with the favourites tag, India's recent T20I form tells a much more concerning story. With only seven wins from 16 matches in 2026—highlighted by an early group-stage exit at the Women’s T20 World Cup—the shortest format remains a glaring blind spot for a side otherwise finding success in ODIs and Tests. These vulnerabilities are far from isolated. Mirroring their 2026 woes, India suffered a group-stage elimination at the 2024 T20 World Cup and stumbled against Sri Lanka in the final of that year's Women’s Asia Cup. While head coach Amol Muzumdar insists the squad is "hungry to win some tournaments," Harmanpreet Kaur and her team face a steep uphill battle with major question marks hanging over their T20 blueprint, especially with the Asian Games fast approaching.

Toss Update: Thailand Women have won the toss and have opted to field.

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

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma

Big wicket! Mandhana is caught short by a sharp direct hit at the non-striker's end, walking off after replays confirm her dismissal for 19 off 10 balls. A slower delivery on the stumps was worked toward mid-wicket as the pair pushed for a second run, but a casual approach and a lack of urgency from Mandhana cost her dearly. The fielder seized the moment with an exceptional direct strike at the base of the stumps, leaving India reeling.

Shafali Verma reached a major milestone by launching a massive six before turning a length delivery to long-on for a single to bring up her 19th T20I half-century, acknowledging the feat with a simple thumbs-up before carrying on. But that momentum was checked shortly after when Suleeporn Laomi struck to dismiss debutant Pratika Rawal for 22 off 18 balls. The debutant had played a lively cameo featuring two fours and a six, but backed away to play on the off side against a delivery on the stumps that stayed low, missing entirely as the ball snuck under her bat to rattle the woodwork.

Cruising comfortably toward a total well past the 200-run mark, India have capitalized on solid contributions from Smriti Mandhana and debutant Pratika Rawal, though both fell after bright starts—Mandhana run out following some casual running between the wickets, and Rawal castled. Anchoring the innings in a league of her own, Shafali Verma has dismantled the Thailand bowling attack with a relentless onslaught all around the ground. Having already brought up a blistering half-century, the explosive opener is now firmly in sight of converting her dominance into a maiden T20I century.

Suleeporn Laomi dealt India a double blow in quick succession, removing both Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh. First, Shafali fell for a brilliant 64 off 36 balls—featuring eight fours and three sixes—after chipping a soft cross-seam delivery back to the bowler. Next ball, dangerous newcomer Richa Ghosh departed for a golden duck, failing to get elevation on an inside-out shot and picking out Thipatcha Putthawong at covers. Losing three wickets in the space of two overs has suddenly left India in a spot of bother.

India's innings continued to unravel as Deepti Sharma was run out for 5 off 7 balls, adding to a dramatic collapse. Pushing the ball to the off side, Deepti called for a non-existent single, only for Suleeporn Laomi to pounce quickly at covers and rattle the non-striker's stumps with a direct hit. Despite a desperate dive, Deepti was left well short of her crease, deepening India's sudden trouble.

Sunida Chaturongrattana compounded India's dramatic collapse by striking twice in quick succession to leave the batting lineup in complete disarray. Bharti Fulmali fell for 13 off 14 balls, attempting to pull a short delivery on the stumps but failing to time it properly, picking out Suwanchonrathi at deep midwicket. Shortly after, Prema Rawat departed for 6 off 5 after being neatly stumped by N Koncharoenkai, dancing down the track to a well-floated delivery wide outside off, beaten by the flight and left stranded well out of her crease as the bails flashed off.

Nandni Sharma became the latest casualty as Thailand continued their sensational onslaught, bowled for 1 off 4 balls by a cleverly disguised slower delivery from Sutthiruang. Playing completely all over the fuller ball on middle and leg, Sharma left a massive gap as the ball snuck through to shatter the middle and leg stumps, leaving a reeling India searching for answers.

Thailand produced a sensational bowling and fielding masterclass to restrict India to under 160, completing a stunning turnaround. At one stage, with Shafali Verma in destructive form, India looked destined to surge past the 200-run mark. However, a dramatic middle-order collapse sparked by disciplined Thai bowling completely derailed the innings and stifled the run flow. Suleeporn Laomi spearheaded the charge with a brilliant spell of 3 for 26, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick as Thailand wrestled back complete control.

Nandni Sharma struck to remove Phannita Maya for 6 off 8 balls, courtesy of a sharp catch by Pratika Rawal at cover. Maya charged down the track to a fuller delivery moving away and sliced her drive into the air, allowing Rawal to leap and pull off a superb two-handed grab over her head to send the batter packing.

Shree Charani struck in her very first over to trap Aphisara Suwanchonrathi lbw for 1 off 6 balls, leaving Thailand in further trouble. Looking to swipe a delivery of a good length across the line to the on side, Suwanchonrathi missed completely and was pinned squarely in front of the stumps, prompting an immediate raised finger from the umpire.

Shree Charani picked up her second wicket as Chanida Sutthiruang fell for 5 off 7 balls, attempting a wild slog off a tossed-up delivery. Getting only a false connection off the toe end, Sutthiruang skied the ball toward mid-on, where Smriti Mandhana safely gathered it around stomach-height after a slight fumble to further dismantle Thailand's chase.

Deepti Sharma tore through Thailand's batting lineup with a devastating double strike in the space of three deliveries. First, she trapped Naomi Hamilton plumb in front with a length delivery that turned in sharply to beat the inside edge. Two balls later, Deepti struck again to remove Nannaphat Chaihan for a duck, hurrying the batter with a skiddy, short delivery that was mistimed straight to Nandni Sharma at short mid-wicket.

Nandni Sharma dealt Thailand a fatal double blow in quick succession to close in on victory. First, she drew an edge from Sunida Chaturongrattana with a probing length delivery around the fourth-stump line that moved away slightly, allowing Richa Ghosh to recover from a minor fumble and complete the catch. Next ball, she removed Suleeporn Laomi for 6 off 15 balls, outfoxing the batter with a slower, fuller delivery on off; Laomi went through with a premeditated heave across the line, failed to pick the change-up, and miscued it straight to Shafali Verma at long-on.

India kicked off their Asia Cup campaign with a commanding 94-run victory, though their middle-order collapse gives them plenty to reflect upon. Shafali Verma set the tone with a destructive 64 off 36 balls, propelling India to a comfortable 101 for 2 after 10 overs and making a total above 200 look a certainty. However, a careless approach saw them lose seven wickets for just 29 runs, slumping before an unbeaten 22-run final-wicket stand pushed them to 159, with legspinner Suleeporn Laomi the pick of the bowlers at 3 for 26. In response, India's bowling attack was relentlessly professional. Kranti Gaud and Nandni Sharma struck early blows to remove the openers, paving the way for the spinners to strangle the chase. Nandni chipped in with three wickets, while Deepti Sharma delivered a masterclass of control, claiming three wickets without conceding a single run across her 1.1 overs—a milestone spell that also made her the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20I history.