The three-time champions, India, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, were up against Thailand, led by the stand-in skipper Thipatcha Putthawong, in the absence of regular skipper Naruemol Chaiwai at the Dubai International Stadium, in the 3rd game of the ongoing 6th edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup on 30th August 2026.
Sri Lanka, led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu, thrashed the hosts United Arab Emirates, led by skipper Esha Oza, by 9 wickets at the same venue on 29th August 2026. Thailand had a forced change as the regular skipper Naruemol Chaiwai had to sit out and was replaced by Nattakan Chantham in the starting 11 for Thailand. India handed a T20I debut to Pratika Rawal.
Thailand’s stand-in skipper Thipatcha Putthawong won the toss and opted to field first. The Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana got their side off to a flying start with a 38-run opening stand, scoring at a rate of over 12 runs an over. An unfortunate run-out ended Smriti Mandhana’s stay (19 off 10 balls) in the 3rd over of the innings to provide the much-needed 1st breakthrough for Thailand.
The debutant Pratika Rawal joined Shafali Verma at the crease and the duo stitched another vital 53-run stand for the 2nd wicket, which took them closer to the 100-run mark. Suleeporn Laomi cleaned up Pratika Rawal (22 off 18 balls) to break the stand in the 9th over of the innings to provide the crucial 2nd breakthrough for her side. The Indian team suffered a horrible collapse as they lost their next 7 wickets for just 46 runs.
As a result, the Indian team found themselves in a situation of getting bundled out without completing their quota of overs. However, Kranti Gaud (15* off 8 balls) had other plans as she provided the much-needed finishing touches to the innings, alongside Shree Charani (6 off 8 balls), as India managed 159/9 in their quota of 20 overs. Bharti Fulmali (13 off 14 balls) was the only other Indian batter to enter the double digits.
The Thailand bowlers showcased remarkable discipline as they just conceded three extras in the innings. Suleeporn Laomi (4-0-26-3), Sunida Chaturongrattana (3-0-31-2), Chanida Sutthiruang (3-0-14-1) and the stand-in skipper Thipatcha Putthawong (4-0-37-1) were the top performers with the ball for Thailand.
Chasing a challenging total of 160, Nattakan Chantham showed positive intent with a crisp boundary. Kranti Gaud eventually had the last laugh as she cleaned up Chantham to provide the first breakthrough for India in the opening over of the run chase. A 12-run stand for the 2nd wicket between the wicket-keeper batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai and Phannita Maya, followed by a crucial 19-run stand for the 3rd wicket between Aphisara Suwanchonrathi and the wicket-keeper batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai, got the scoreboard moving.
The pair of Suleeporn Laomi and the wicket-keeper batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai showed some resilience with a 16-run 7th wicket stand, which took them past the 50-run mark. Thailand were eventually bundled out for 65, with 23 balls to spare, falling 94 runs short of the target. The wicket-keeper batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai (41 off 48 balls) top-scored with the bat and was the only batter to enter the double digits for her side.
The Indian bowlers were sensational with their lines and lengths, conceding just one extra in the innings. Nandni Sharma (4-0-18-3), Deepti Sharma (1.1-1-0-3), Shree Charani (3-0-10-2), and Prema Rawat (4-1-11-0) were exceptional with the ball for India. Kranti Gaud (4-0-26-1) played her part with the ball for her side.
Shafali Verma was awarded the Player of the Match for her impressive knock (64 off 36 balls) at the top of the order. Her knock included 8 boundaries and 3 maximums.
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