India, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, were up against Hong Kong, led by skipper Natasha Miles, in the 7th match of the ongoing 6th edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup on 3rd September at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.
Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s blockbuster show thrashed Indonesia by 75 runs in the 6th match of the tournament on 2nd September 2026.
Hong Kong made a couple of changes: Iqra Sahar replaced Shing Chan, and skipper Natasha Miles returned to the side, replacing Charlotte Chan in the starting 11 for Hong Kong. India retained the same side that took the field in the previous clash.
The Hong Kong skipper Natasha Miles won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana came out all guns blazing, stitching a massive 74-run opening stand, scoring at over 9 runs an over. A high full toss from Ruchitha Venkatesh, supported by an outstanding catch from Marina Lamplough in the deep, got the better of Shafali Verma (28 off 17 balls) to provide the much-needed 1st breakthrough for Hong Kong in the 8th over of the innings.
The batters that followed alongside the opening batter Smriti Mandhana, who went through her gears, ensured that the momentum continued through substantial partnerships of 37 for the 2nd wicket featuring Pratika Rawal, followed by a 40-run stand with the wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh for the 3rd wicket and a quick-fire 34-run stand for the 4th wicket alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
India posted the highest total in this edition (193/5) in their quota of 20 overs. The Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (124 off 64 balls) not only registered her career-best score but also shattered multiple records before her knock ended in an unfortunate run-out in the final over of the innings. Marina Lamplough (4-0-46-2), Joyleen Kaur (2-0-12-1) and Iqra Sahar (4-0-28-0) were the top performers with the ball for Hong Kong.
Chasing a massive total of 194, Hong Kong lost their opening batter Mariko Hills for a four-ball duck in the 2nd over of the run chase as Nandani Sharma got India off to an ideal start, feeding off the pressure created by Kranti Gaud at the other end, conceding just one run in the opening over.
The wicket-keeper batter Yasmin Daswani joined skipper Natasha Miles at the crease, and the duo led a much-needed recovery with a 27-run stand for the 2nd wicket. Deepti Sharma broke the stand by sending Yasmin Daswani (11 off 23 balls) back to the pavilion in the 9th over of the innings to provide the crucial 2nd breakthrough for her side.
A 16-run stand for the 5th wicket between Maryam Bibi (7 off 10 balls) and Marina Lamplough (14 off 15 balls) was the only other promising stand for Hong Kong, which also took them past the 50-run mark in the run chase. The Indian spinners were relentless with their lines and lengths, which resulted in regular breakthroughs. The Natasha Miles-led side were eventually bundled out for 56 in the 17th over of the run chase, with a massive deficit of 137 runs and 22 balls to spare.
Deepti Sharma (3-0-9-3), Prema Rawat (3-0-12-2), Nandni Sharma (3-0-6-2) and Shree Charani (3.2-0-16-2) were exceptional with the ball for India. Kranti Gaud (3-1-5-0) set the tone up front.
Smriti Mandhana was awarded the Player of the Match for her eye-catching masterclass of 124 (64 balls) with the bat, forming the base of India’s dominance in the contest. Her knock included 14 boundaries and 7 sixes. India became the first team to secure their semi-final berth in the ongoing edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026.
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