In a thrilling encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Thailand Women won the toss and chose to bowl first against India Women in their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 match.
Notably, Pratika Rawal made her T20I debut for India, receiving her first cap from captain Harmanpreet Kaur before the game.
Captains’ Insights
Following the toss, Thailand’s captain Thipatcha Putthawong announced that the regular captain, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, was sidelined due to injury. She expressed the team’s goal of limiting India to a score between 120 and 130 runs, stating, “Nannapat Koncharoenkai is injured. We aim to restrict India to no more than 120-130 runs.”
On the other hand, India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur mentioned that while they would have preferred to bowl first, they were also comfortable batting first. She confirmed Rawal’s inclusion in the lineup due to Jemimah Rodrigues’ unavailability, emphasizing the team’s focus on delivering their best performance. “We considered bowling first, but batting first is also fine. This is our first match in Dubai, and we aim to give our best. Pratika is debuting today because Jemi is not available. We want to play good cricket and be ruthless, especially in this crucial tournament,” she remarked.
Playing XI for Both Teams
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, N Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Nandani Sharma.
Thailand Women: Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Nattakan Chantam, Phannita Maya, Nannapat Koncharoenkai (wk), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Suleeporn Laomi, Nannaphat Chaihan, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Thipatcha Putthawong (C), Onnicha Kamchomphu.