The Women’s Twenty20 (T20) Asia Cup 2026 will continue with Sri Lanka Women taking on United Arab Emirates Women at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, on August 29, 2026 (Saturday). The match will start at 8:00 PM IST and will be the second match of the tournament. Sri Lanka Women will begin their Group B campaign against UAE Women, with both teams looking to start the competition with a win. Sri Lanka will enter the contest with an experienced squad, while UAE will look to put up a strong performance against one of the established teams in the competition.
Both Sri Lanka Women and UAE Women have won four of their last five matches, making this an interesting contest to start Group B. Sri Lanka will have experienced players such as Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari and Imesha Dulani in their squad. UAE will be led by Esha Oza and will also have players such as Theertha Satish, Samaira Dharnidharka and Vaishnave Mahesh. Both teams will be keen to make a good start and will look to perform well in all three departments. With important points up for grabs, the players will be looking to make an early impact in the tournament.
Squads:
Sri Lanka Women’s Cricket Team
Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Mithali Ayodhya, Kavisha Dilhari, Imesha Dulani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Sanjana Kavindi, Kawya Kavindi, Sugandika Kumari, Nimasha Meepage, Hasini Perera, Chamudi Praboda, Nilakshika Silva, Chethana Vimukthi
United Arab Emirates Women’s Cricket Team
Esha Oza, Archara Supriya, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Heena Hotchandani, Lavanya Keny, Suraksha Kotte, Mehul Kulkarni, Indhuja Nandakumar, Rinitha Rajith, Athige Silva, Theertha Satish, Janani Thirukkumaran, Uttara Iyer, Vaishnave Mahesh
Players to watch out:
Esha Oza
Esha Oza will be one of the key players to watch from UAE Women in their opening match of the Asia Cup. She has scored 462 runs in her last 10 matches at an excellent average of 92.40. Her strike rate during this period is 144.37, showing that she can score quickly while also making big contributions with the bat. Oza has also taken 20 wickets in her last nine matches, with an economy rate of 3.32. As the UAE captain, she will have an important role to play with both bat and ball against Sri Lanka.
Theertha Satish
Theertha Satish will be another important player for UAE Women in this match. She has scored 227 runs in her last 10 matches at an average of 45.40. Her strike rate during this period is 128.97, which shows her ability to score runs at a good pace in T20 cricket. Satish is also a wicketkeeper-batter and can contribute to the team in more than one area. UAE will hope that she can provide valuable runs and help the team put pressure on Sri Lanka.
Chamari Athapaththu
Chamari Athapaththu will be one of the main players to watch from Sri Lanka Women. She has scored 368 runs in her last 10 matches at an average of 40.89. Her strike rate of 151.44 shows her ability to score quickly and change the game in a short period. Athapaththu has also taken eight wickets in these 10 matches, giving Sri Lanka another useful option with the ball. The Sri Lankan captain will be expected to lead from the front as her team begins its Asia Cup campaign.
Imesha Dulani
Imesha Dulani will also be a player to watch from the Sri Lankan side. She has scored 217 runs in her last nine matches at an average of 27.13. Her strike rate during this period is 117.29, which gives her the ability to keep the scoreboard moving during her innings. Dulani will be expected to make a useful contribution with the bat and help Sri Lanka build a strong total. Her performance could be important if UAE manages to put pressure on Sri Lanka’s top order.
Pitch:
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is expected to offer a fairly balanced surface for this match. Batters may need some time at the beginning of their innings before they can start playing their shots freely. Spinners could become more effective during the middle overs as the surface may offer some grip and turn. Fast bowlers can also get some movement with the new ball, while slower balls and yorkers could be useful towards the end of the innings.
Weather:
The temperatures will be ranging between 30°C and 44°C during the day. The conditions are expected to be overcast at times, but there is no rain expected around the start of the match. Winds are expected to be around 8 km/h during the match, while the chance of rain is expected to fall to 0% by 9:00 PM.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Esha Oza, Theertha Satish, Chamari Athapaththu, Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Vaishnave Mahesh, Samaira Dharnidharka, Sugandika Kumari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Siya Gokhale
Match Details:
Date – August 29, 2026
Time – 8:00 PM IST
Venue – Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Broadcast – All matches of the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network. Fans can also watch the tournament live through the Sony LIV app and website.
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