India will bat first against Thailand in their opening Group A match of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (August 30). Delhi-based top-order batter Pratika Rawal is making her T20I debut for India against Thailand, while the Group A clash is also a special occasion for star all-rounder Deepti Sharma.
Deepti, India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, is playing her 150th match in the shortest format on Sunday. She is the third Indian after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to feature in 150 or more women’s T20Is.
Most WT20Is for India
| PLAYER | TIME SPAN | MATCHES | RUNS | BEST SCORE | AVERAGE | WICKETS | BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) | CATCHES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 2009-2026 | 203* | 4216 | 103 | 30.33 | 32 | 4/23 | 77 |
| Smriti Mandhana | 2013-2026 | 172* | 4538 | 112 | 30.25 | – | – | 49 |
| Deepti Sharma | 2016-2026 | 150* | 1270 | 64 | 22.67 | 168 | 5/10 | 44 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | 2018-2026 | 131 | 2824 | 76 | 29.41 | 1 | 1/9 | 40 |
| Shafali Verma | 2019-2026 | 112* | 2901 | 81 | 27.89 | 16 | 3/15 | 34 |
In her previous 149 T20Is for India, Deepti has scored 1,270 runs and taken 168 wickets. If she manages to take two more wickets than Thailand spinner Thipatcha Putthawong
in India’s Group A match, she will become the highest wicket-taker in women’s T20I cricket.
Thipatcha, who is playing her 109th T20I on Sunday, has 169 wickets to her name.
Most wickets in women’s T20Is
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | TIME SPAN | MATCHES | WICKETS | BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) | ECONOMY | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thipatcha Putthawong | Thailand | 2019-2026 | 109 | 169 | 5/3 | 4.05 | 3 |
| Deepti Sharma | India | 2016-2026 | 150 | 168 | 5/10 | 6.35 | 2 |
| Henriette Ishimwe | Rwanda | 2019-2026 | 134 | 164 | 5/6 | 4.46 | 2 |
| Sophie Ecclestone | England | 2016-2026 | 113 | 154 | 4/18 | 6.03 | 0 |
| Kary Chan | Hong Kong | 2019-2026 | 115 | 153 | 5/4 | 4.47 | 4 |
| Onnicha Kamchomphu | Thailand | 2018-2026 | 141 | 153 | 5/18 | 4.46 | 1 |
| Megan Schutt | Australia | 2013-2026 | 126 | 152 | 5/15 | 6.39 | 1 |
Pratika, who has played one Test and 27 ODIs for India, will bat at No. 3 in her first T20I appearance. She has been handed her debut in the absence of Jemimah Rodrigues, who is ruled out of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 due to an injury she sustained while playing in The Hundred.
Pratika received her maiden T20I cap from India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur ahead of the toss.
Congratulations to Pratika Rawal, who makes her T20I debut today and is presented with her #TeamIndia 🧢 from Captain @ImHarmanpreet 😊. #AsiaCup #INDvTHAI pic.twitter.com/iY1o9uMpwN
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) August 30, 2026
India’s playing XI against Thailand: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma
Thailand’s XI: Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Nattakan Chantam, Phannita Maya, Nannapat Koncharoenkai (WK), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Suleeporn Laomi, Nannaphat Chaihan, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Thipatcha Putthawong (C), Onnicha Kamchomphu
