Dubai is gearing up for a major cricket event, with the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 heading to the UAE from August 28 to September 13. The tournament will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, giving local fans a chance to watch some of Asia’s leading women cricketers up close.
This edition matters a lot for the UAE, since it marks the first time the country will host the Women’s Asia Cup. Every match is scheduled to be played under lights, kicking off at 6:30 pm local time.
This eight-team competition brings together established cricketing nations alongside a few emerging teams. With the entire tournament being staged in Dubai, the UAE gets a real spotlight on its growing role as a host for international cricket.
Esha Oza to lead UAE women’s cricket team
UAE all-rounder Esha Oza will captain the 15-member UAE squad throughout the tournament. As an experienced player, she carries the responsibility of leading the home team through what is genuinely a big occasion for UAE women’s cricket.
The UAE qualified for the main tournament alongside Thailand through the 2026 Asian Cricket Council Premier Women’s Cup in Malaysia. The home team has landed in Group B alongside defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
For the UAE players, taking on a continental tournament on home soil could be a genuinely valuable chance to test themselves against some of the region’s strongest sides. The home crowd should add another layer of energy to the matches too.
UAE Women’s Asia Cup 2026 schedule
The UAE opens its campaign against Sri Lanka on August 29 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With Sri Lanka the defending champions, that makes for a genuinely tough start for the hosts.
The UAE then takes on Indonesia on September 4 before wrapping up their Group B matches against Bangladesh on September 8. All three of the UAE’s group matches are set to start at 6:30 pm local time.
UAE matches in Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 29 | Sri Lanka vs UAE | 6:30 pm | Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
| September 4 | UAE vs Indonesia | 6:30 pm | Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
| September 8 | Bangladesh vs UAE | 6:30 pm | Dubai International Cricket Stadium |
Once the group stage wraps up, the tournament moves into the knockout rounds. The semi-finals are set for September 10 and 11, with the final following on September 13.
Two groups will decide the semi-finalists
The eight teams have been split into two groups for this 2026 edition. Group A brings together India, Pakistan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, China, while Group B features the UAE, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
This group-stage format gives every team three matches to fight for a spot in the semi-finals. The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage, setting up two semi-finals ahead of the championship match.
Group A is likely to draw a lot of attention given India and Pakistan are both in it. Their match is scheduled for September 5 and is expected to be one of the biggest fixtures of the entire tournament.
Defending champions Sri Lanka return to Dubai
Sri Lanka enter this competition as defending champions after taking their first Women’s Asia Cup title in the previous edition. With them landing in Group B, the UAE ends up facing one of the tournament’s strongest teams right at the start of its campaign.
Bangladesh will also pose a serious challenge for the hosts. The Bangladesh squad will be led by regular captain Nigar Sultana Joty, with spinner Nahida Akter stepping in as vice-captain.
Indonesia rounds out Group B and meets the UAE on September 4. All told, the group throws three very different challenges at the hosts, with every match mattering a lot for their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
UAE squad gets home advantage
The UAE squad features 15 players, with Esha Oza named captain and Theertha Satish taking on wicketkeeping duties. The squad also includes players like Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Janani Thirukkumaran, Lavanya Keny, and Vaishnave Mahesh.
Playing at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium gives the UAE team a real chance to get comfortable with the conditions and surroundings around them. That said, facing experienced international sides means the hosts will still need genuinely strong performances with both bat and ball to make it count.
This tournament could also do a lot for raising the profile of women’s cricket in the UAE. Hosting an event at this level gives local players exposure to high-level competition, while giving supporters a chance to follow their national team through a major continental tournament.
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All matches to be played under lights
One of the more notable features of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 schedule is that every single match will be played under lights. Games are set to kick off at 6:30 pm Dubai time, giving fans a proper evening cricket programme to look forward to.
The tournament kicks off on August 28, with the knockout stage following once the group matches wrap up. The semi-finals land on September 10 and 11, before the tournament reaches its final on September 13 at the same Dubai venue.
With all 15 matches taking place at one stadium, Dubai effectively becomes the centre of women’s cricket in Asia for more than two weeks straight. This setup also gives fans the chance to catch multiple matches without having to travel between different venues.
Dubai gets another major international cricket event
The Women’s T20 Asia Cup adds yet another significant international cricket event to Dubai’s sporting calendar. The city has already hosted major cricket tournaments and high-profile matches before, making it a familiar venue for both players and visiting supporters.
For the UAE, though, this tournament carries a different kind of significance. Hosting the Women’s Asia Cup for the first time gives the country a real chance to showcase its facilities while supporting the continued growth of women’s cricket.
As the August 28 opening draws closer, all eyes will be on whether the UAE can make the most of home conditions and give the established teams in Group B a genuine challenge. Their first major test comes against defending champions Sri Lanka on August 29.