India face Thailand in their T20 Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Sunday
India are the most successful team, with seven Asia Cup titles overall
Harmanpreet and Deepti headline India’s key tournament records
India begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 campaign against Thailand in Dubai on Sunday, hoping to put their disappointing T20 World Cup outing behind them and make a strong start to their title bid.
Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the three-time champions, with Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain, in the Group A fixture at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which starts at 8:30 PM IST.
India are the most successful team in the history of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, having won three of the five editions played so far. They lifted the trophy in 2012, 2016 and 2022, but finished runners-up in 2018 and 2024. Sri Lanka beat India in the final of the last edition.
For Harmanpreet’s side, the immediate task is to start strongly against Thailand before turning their attention to Hong Kong China and arch-rivals Pakistan.
Women’s Asia Cup History
The Women’s Asia Cup was first held in 2004 in Sri Lanka, with Colombo and Kandy hosting the inaugural edition. The tournament was initially played in the ODI format before switching to T20 cricket in 2012.
The 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but was eventually cancelled. The International Cricket Council has accorded either ODI or T20I status to Asia Cup matches, depending on the format in which they are played.
By the end of the 2024 edition, nine Women’s Asia Cup tournaments had been staged across the two formats. India are the most successful team in the tournament’s history, with four ODI titles and three T20I crowns.
India’s Women's Asia Cup T20 Record
T20I titles: 3 - 2012, 2016, 2022
Runners-up: 2 - 2018, 2024
Highest total: 201/5 vs UAE in Dambulla, 2024
Lowest total: 81 all out vs Pakistan in Guangzhou, 2012
Biggest win by runs: 142 runs vs Hong Kong in Guangzhou, 2012
Smallest win by runs: 17 runs vs Pakistan in Bangkok, 2016
India’s Top Asia Cup Record Holders
Most runs: Harmanpreet Kaur - 571
Highest individual score: Mithali Raj - 97* off 69 balls vs Malaysia in 2018
Highest batting average: Mithali Raj - 61.42
Highest strike rate: Richa Ghosh - 179.38, minimum 50 balls faced
Most half-centuries: Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur - 3 each
Most sixes: Shafali Verma - 9
Most ducks: Kiran Navgire - 2
Most runs in one edition: Mithali Raj - 220 in five matches in 2016
Most matches: Harmanpreet Kaur - 25
Most matches as captain: Harmanpreet Kaur - 23
Most catches: Harmanpreet Kaur - 9
Mithali’s unbeaten 97 against Malaysia in 2018 remains the highest individual score by an Indian batter in the competition. Her 220 runs in the 2016 edition are also the most scored by an Indian in a single T20 Asia Cup.
Deepti Sharma Leads India’s Bowling Records
Deepti Sharma has been one of India’s most successful bowlers in the T20 Asia Cup and sits at the top of the team’s wicket-taking charts.
Most wickets: Deepti Sharma - 26
Most wickets in one edition: Deepti Sharma - 13 in eight matches in 2022
Second-most wickets among Indians: Ekta Bisht - 16
Third-most wickets among Indians: Poonam Yadav - 14
Best bowling figures: Poonam Yadav - 4/9 vs Bangladesh in 2018
Deepti’s 13 wickets in the 2022 edition remain the most by an Indian bowler in a single tournament.
Poonam produced India’s best bowling figures in the competition when she claimed 4/9 against Bangladesh in Kuala Lumpur in 2018.
Other Notable India Records
Highest partnership: Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues - 128 runs for the fourth wicket vs UAE in Sylhet, 2022
Highest team total: 201/5 vs UAE in Dambulla, 2024
Lowest team total: 81 all out vs Pakistan in Guangzhou, 2012
India last won the T20 Asia Cup in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2024. They will now be aiming to reclaim the continental crown and add an eighth overall Women’s Asia Cup title to their record.
