India Women vs Thailand Women, Match 3 Commentary, Live Updates

No run, the batter has just blocked that from the crease.

Shorter and on middle, that is flicked off the back foot to square leg for a run.

FOUR! Not far away from going to hand. Flighted up, on off. Shafali opens up the front hip and uses her bottom hand to crack the drive towards extra cover. It goes uppishly but the fielder cannot get her body behind the ball. It bounces past her and it races away.

The Indian skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur makes her way out to bat.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Pratika Rawal was looking very steady with her shots, but Suleeporn Laomi stepped up and eliminated the danger hovering over her side. She drags his length back, yet again, pitching it on off and angling in. Pratika Rawal gets on his back foot and opens her stance to punch it toward long on, but the ball skids through and beats the inside edge to rattle into the stumps. India Women lose their second wicket with 91 on the board.

FIFTY FOR SHAFALI! 19th T20I half-century for the talented Indian opener, and this has been an entertaining knock. Fractionally short, on off. Verma rocks back and whips it down to long on for a single.

SIX! Easy as you like! Short of a length, but sprays it way outside off. Shafali Verma walks down the track and flat bats it over wide long off for half a dozen.

Drags the length back, does Laomi, on off. Shafali Verma stands tall and defends it down the track.

Tossed up, fuller, on off, Verma fends it away.

Fuller, around off, Pratika Rawal pushes it wide of cover-point for one.

The leggie Suleeporn Laomi will roll her arm over now.

Pushed through, on middle. Shafali plays it back to the bowler.

Turning in, on middle, short of a length. Shafali Verma defends it down.

Floated fuller, outside off, Pratika Rawal defends it to the off side.

Fuller, around off, Rawal drives it straight to the cover fielder.

Just short of the fielder! Flighted and fuller, pitching it on off and turning in sharply. Pratika Rawal gets down on one knee to sweep it away, but a top edge is found. The ball flies toward the deep square leg region. The fielder sprints and dives, but the ball drops just short. The deep mid-wicket fielder moves to her right and collects the ball. A couple taken between the sticks.

Pitches it up, just outside off, Rawal pushes it to cover.

Slower through the air, on a good length, Shafali Verma clips it to backward square leg.

FOUR! Now toward the leg side! Sunida pitches it short, but the ball skids through. However, Shafali Verma is alert enough to pull it down and hard to pierce the gap between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for a boundary.

SIX! Excellent usage of the feet! Tossed up, fuller, around the off stump. Shafali Verma skips down the track and tonks it over the long on fence for another biggie.

Another short delivery, over off. Pratika Rawal pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Halt. The physio is out to check on the fielder.

FOUR! Full marks for the effort, but it looks like the fielder has hurt herself. Drags the length back, outside off. Pratika Rawal goes deep into the crease and cuts it away to dissect the cover and point fielders. The latter sprints to chase it and dives but fails to prevent the boundary.

Short of a length, angling in, around off. The ball stays low after pitching. Pratika Rawal rocks back and punches it back to the bowler from the cue end.

Done with the Powerplay. Thailand Women can now have four fielders outside the inner circle, giving them more protection in the deep.

Looped up, on middle. Rawal advances and has a hack across the line. She mishits it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Pushed through, shorter and on off, Pratika chops it down to cover-point.

FOUR! Good use of the feet. Flighted up, on off. Rawal steps out and gets to the pitch of the ball. Lofts it over mid off and picks up a boundary.

Outside off, on a nagging length. Verma guides it behind point and takes a single.

Stays short, on off. Verma makes room and slaps it to extra cover.

Around off, on the shorter side, whipped to mid-wicket.

Short and on off, Rawal checks her shot as she plays it back to the bowler.

Tossed up, fuller, around the pads of the batter, Shafali Verma flicks it to square leg for one.

FOUR! Short and punished! Short of a length, angling down the leg side. Shafali Verma rocks back, opens her stance and hammers it through square leg for four more runs.

Short, outside off, Verma taps it to backward point.

Fuller, on middle, Pratika pushes it to long on for one.

SIX! Simply lovely! Short of a length, outside off. Pratika goes for an inside-out and lofts it over the sweeper cover fence for half a dozen. The 50 comes up for India.

Sunida Chaturongrattana comes on to bowl her off-breaks.

FOUR! Exceptional! A touch fuller, offering the same flight as the previous delivery, around off. Shafali uses her bottom hand and once again launches it over the cover region for a boundary.

FOUR! Beautiful stroke! Flighted and fuller, just outside off. Verma presses forward and lofts it over wide mid off for four runs.

Short, on middle, Shafali blocks it down.

A touch fuller, at the stumps, Pratika flicks it to mid-wicket and gets a single.

Drags her length back yet again, does Putthawong, on middle. Pratika nudges it to mid-wicket.

Short of a length, on middle, Rawal stabs it to mid off.

Pratika Rawal walks out to bat on her T20I debut.

OUT! SMRITI MANDHANA IS RUN OUT! A moment of brilliance in the field by Aphisara Suwanchonrathi. Lackadaisical running from a senior batter like Smriti Mandhana. A slower one from Maya, full and on middle. Verma lunges and brings her wrists into play, working it wide of long on and committing to the second run. Mandhana, though, merely jogs through the second and does not run in a straight line, taking it rather casually. Aphisara gets around to her right and tidies up before releasing the throw at the bowling end. There is no one up to the stumps to gather the throw, but it does not matter as Aphisara hits the bullseye and finds Mandhana short of her crease. End of a 38-run opening stand.

Run out check. Thailand Women are celebrating. Smriti Mandhana is walking off without even waiting for the replays.

SIX! First maximum of the night. Maya serves a full ball, on off. Shafali takes a step or two down the track and presents the full face of the bat. She manages to get under the ball and holds her shape as she lofts it over mid off for a six.

Pace on now, on a length, on off. Verma leans across and plays a punchy drive but can't get it past Thipatcha Putthawong at extra cover.

Good change-up by Maya. Takes pace off and keeps it on a short of a length, on off. Smriti hangs back and pushes it wide of cover. They cross.

FOUR! Hit with authority. Maya stays full, around off. Mandhana clears the front leg and extends her hands into the lofted hit. Spanks it back over the bowler's head and picks up a boundary.

Pitched up by Maya and she gets the ball to curve back into the left-hander, on off and middle. Smriti knocks it to mid off.

Change? Nope, Phannita Maya will continue.

Putthawong drags the length back, on off. Verma stays on the back foot and rides the bounce. Punches it past cover but it slows down in the outfield. Two fielders give chase and mop it up. Two taken.

FOUR! Verma takes the aerial route once again. Floated up by Putthawong, on middle. Shafali presses forward, puts her down and swings through the line to launch it over mid off for another four.

Fuller and this slides on with the arm to tuck the batter up for room. Verma hops back and plays it back to the bowler.

FOUR! Up and over. Dragged down by Putthawong, on off. Shafali stands tall and waits for it on the back foot before muscling it over wide mid off for a boundary.

Flighted delivery, drifting on the pads. Shafali brings her wrists into play and flicks it through square leg. The ball does not have enough legs to reach the fence and it is hauled in. Verma is off the mark with a couple of runs.

Sliding across the left-hander, on the shorter side. Mandhana taps it down to long on and crosses over.

A positive start for India. It will be spin from the other end. Here's the stand-in skipper, Thipatcha Putthawong.

Hooping back in, fuller and on the pads. Smriti nudges it between mid-wicket and mid on for a single.

FOUR! Gets it through. Not that bad a ball, on a short of a length, just outside the off stump. Mandhana lets the ball come on and gets on top of the bounce before punching it through covers, beating the diving cover fielder to her left for the third boundary of the over.

From around the wicket now, on a back of a length, on off. Smriti punches it to cover.

FOUR! Put away, squarer this time. This is dug halfway into the track, outside off. Mandhana shuffles to get closer to the line of the ball and pulls it through square leg for four more.

FOUR! Easy pickings. Down leg by Maya, on the shorter side. Mandhana swivels and pulls it behind square leg to the left of the fielder in the deep. Smriti picks up a boundary to get the game going for her side.

Right on the money! Begins from over the wicket and hits the good length, shaping back in, on middle. Mandhana gets behind it and blocks it down.

We are all set to get going. Thipatcha Putthawong leads her troops out to the middle. It will be the left-hand, right-hand combination of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma for India. Thailand are starting with pace in the form of Phannita Maya. Mandhana is on strike. There is a slip in place. Let's go...

We are moments away from the first ball, but before that, the two teams line up for the national anthems. It will be the national anthem of Thailand first, followed by that of India.

PITCH REPORT - Veda Krishnamurthy is near the deck. She says Pitch 4 will be used today. Mentions that despite being used twice, the surface looks quite hard and in good shape, with no signs of deterioration, so the batters should enjoy it. She feels Thailand have made the right decision to bowl first, as batting first has been a bit of a struggle so far in the tournament. Veda believes there should be some movement for the seamers early on, while the spinners could also come into play.

Thailand Women (Playing XI) - Natthakan Chantham (In for Naruemol Chaiwai), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (WK), Chanida Sutthiruang, Suleeporn Laomi, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong (C), Phannita Maya, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Nannaphat Chaihan and Naomi Hamilton.

India Women (Playing XI) - Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal (On T20I debut), Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma.

The captain of India Women - Harmanpreet Kaur says they would have bowled first as well but are fine with batting first. She adds that the focus is on playing good cricket throughout the tournament and mentions that they have spoken about being ruthless. She admits this is an important tournament for them and confirms that Pratika Rawal is making her debut.

The stand-in skipper of Thailand Women - Thipatcha Putthawong starts off by saying that they will be bowling first. Adds that they want to restrict their opposition to 170. Informs that their captain, Naruemol Chaiwai, misses out due to an injury.

TOSS - No Naruemol Chaiwai for Thailand Women today, with Thipatcha Putthawong standing in as captain. The flip of the coin lands in favour of Putthawong. Thailand Women elect to BOWL first.

Debut alert - Pratika Rawal has been handed her maiden T20I cap by the captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, in the huddle. Rawal was not originally part of the squad but earned a call-up after a hamstring injury to Jemimah Rodrigues ruled her out of the tournament. One could say that her game is perhaps more suited to the other two formats. She has also not featured in the WPL yet, so it will be interesting to see how she adapts to the shortest format at this level.

Milestone game - Deepti Sharma is all set to make her 150th appearance in T20Is. The experienced all-rounder will become only the third Indian woman to play 150 or more T20Is, joining Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana in an exclusive list.

Thailand's big test - Thailand arrive with confidence after a winning start to their campaign. They opened the tournament with a six-run win over Hong Kong, China with skipper Naruemol Chaiwai top-scoring with 43 in a modest total of 120. However, with the ball, Onnicha Kamchomphu was the standout performer, picking up three wickets, which helped the side seal the win. For a side like Thailand, the reality is that they do not get to face powerhouses like India very often, so this is a special occasion for them. They should look to enjoy the moment and play with freedom. Can the underdogs put India to the test? Stick with us to find out.

Favourites on paper, faltering in form - There is no doubt that Harmanpreet Kaur's side will walk in as heavy favourites and with a rich legacy to protect. And why not? India have won the Women's T20 Asia Cup three times in the five editions played in this format since 2012. But form lines tell a different story this year. India have lost 9 of their 16 T20Is in 2026 and were knocked out of the Women's T20 World Cup in the group stage after losing to Australia, meaning this opener is as much about rediscovering momentum as it is about collecting points.

Greetings, folks - The stage is set at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as India Women lock horns with Thailand Women in Match 3 of the Women's Asia Cup 2026. This is a Group A clash with Pakistan and Hong Kong, China being the other two teams in this group.

... MATCH DAY ...

Race to be Asian champions - The tenth edition of the Women's Asia Cup is here, with eight teams jostling for continental glory. And for the first time, the United Arab Emirates plays host, with the Dubai International Cricket Stadium serving as the tournament's exclusive venue. Hong Kong, China Women return to the competition after a long absence dating back to 2012, while Indonesia Women arrive for their maiden qualification, a telling sign of just how far women's cricket has spread its roots across the subcontinent. Match 3 sees India Women, the most successful team, the giants of the continent, begin their campaign against Thailand Women, who have already been in action in the tournament opener and have started their campaign with a bang against Hong Kong, China. Chasing eighth glory - India Women stand head and shoulders above the rest in this tournament's history, having claimed the title a staggering seven times across nine editions, a record no other side comes remotely close to. Reaching the final has practically become routine business for them, never once falling short of the summit clash, yet 2024 remains the one crack recently in an otherwise flawless run, the year the trophy slipped from their grasp and Sri Lanka Women stepped up as the reigning champions. Class, power, depth - Harmanpreet Kaur continues to lead the side, with Smriti Mandhana serving as her deputy, and both remain among India's leading run scorers in Asia Cup history, sitting second and third on the all time list respectively, breathing down the neck of Athapaththu at the top. Both have also carried strong form into 2026, each notching three T20I half centuries this year, and will be hoping to keep that momentum flowing here too. That elegance is nicely balanced out by power hitting elsewhere in the lineup, India boasting Shafali Verma at the top of the order, alongside Bharti Fulmali and Richa Ghosh through the middle. On experience, the ever-reliable Deepti Sharma will once again have a crucial role to play, boasting the second most wickets in Asia Cup history, behind only Pakistan's Nida Dar. Meanwhile, G Kamalini, who has featured in just a single T20I so far, finds her way back into the squad after almost a year away, and could prove significant as the backup wicketkeeper too. Big void to fill - India, however, will be without Jemimah Rodrigues, the steady hand of their middle order, ruled out with a high-grade right hamstring tear picked up during the recently concluded Hundred Women competition. Given how reliable she has been with the bat, her absence is a genuinely significant blow for India. Stepping into that breach is Pratika Rawal, handed her maiden T20I call-up. Having already carved out a reputation in ODIs, she will now look to fill the considerable void Rodrigues leaves behind. Weaponry with the ball - India also boast decent depth and balance in the bowling department. They have gone with a pace-heavy quartet, featuring the experienced pairing of Arundhati Reddy and Renuka Singh Thakur, both capable of consistent swing in the opening overs, alongside the youthful energy of Kranti Gaud and Nandni Sharma rounding out the attack. On the spin front, Deepti leads the pack, all right, though Shreyanka Patil remains sidelined, still not fully recovered from the ankle injury that had already ruled her out of the T20 World Cup. Even so, with Sree Charani, Radha Yadav and Prema Rawat also in the mix, India retain genuine variety and plenty of options to work with on that front. Test beyond their best - Fresh off winning the Asia Women's T20I Cup back in June, and bagging two important points in their season opener, Thailand Women arrive with a genuine spring in their step. Their best showing in this tournament remains the 2022 edition, when they made it all the way through to the semifinals, a benchmark they will hope to match or better this time around under the leadership of Naruemol Chaiwai. It is a tough road ahead, though, given the sheer quality of opposition they will be up against here. A blend of youth and experience - With the bat, Thailand will lean heavily on Nannapat Koncharoenkai and Natthakan Chantham, their leading run scorers with over 2700 T20I runs, to lead the charge, a duo that carries both experience and promise into this campaign. The side also arrives on the back of a solid showing at the T20 World Cup Global Qualifier earlier this year, where they advanced to the Super 6 stage, a run built on the runs of their batters through that tournament. Putthawong leads the attack - On the bowling front, Thailand's biggest asset walks in with a rather staggering resume. Thipatcha Putthawong enters the tournament as the joint-highest wicket-taker in Women's T20Is, with 168 scalps, level with India's own Deepti Sharma. She will spearhead an attack that also features Suleeporn Laomi and Sunida Chaturongrattana, giving Thailand a genuinely experienced spine to their bowling unit heading into the tournament. Whereas Onnicha Kamchomphu starred with a 3-for in their first game and was highly impressive too. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, recent first) - IND-W - LWLWW | THA-W - WLWWW. What to expect? The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has not exactly been a regular host for women's cricket, but that changes now, marking the start of a new chapter for the venue. India Women have played just three T20Is here so far, all during the 2024 T20 World Cup, winning two of the three. For Thailand Women, meanwhile, they have already got the taste of the conditions, and their bowlers did exceptionally well to defend a modest total. India will, of course, walk in as the firm favorites, but Thailand will fancy their chances of pushing the giants right to the edge.