Muneeba Ali’s half-century and Sadia Iqbal’s three-wicket spell guide Pakistan to a 35-run victory in their opening Women’s T20 Asia Cup match.
Pakistan Women made a winning start to their ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 35-run victory over Thailand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. After being asked to bat first, Pakistan posted 119 for nine from their 20 overs before their bowlers restricted Thailand to 84 for eight. The result gave Pakistan valuable momentum at the beginning of the eight-team tournament.
Muneeba Ali was the standout performer with the bat, producing a composed half-century under pressure. The opener scored 54 from 52 deliveries, including four boundaries, and held the Pakistan innings together after wickets fell at regular intervals. Her innings was particularly important because Pakistan struggled to accelerate consistently during the middle overs.
Sadaf Shamas provided useful support to Muneeba, scoring 20 from 20 balls. The pair added 54 runs for the fourth wicket, helping Pakistan recover from a difficult position and push their total towards the 120-run mark. Thailand’s bowlers Suleeporn Laomi and Thipatcha Putthawong claimed three wickets apiece as Pakistan finished on 119 for nine.
Thailand’s chase never really gathered momentum. Sadia Iqbal made an immediate impact, taking two wickets in the second over and leaving Thailand struggling at six for two. She returned at the end of the innings to claim her third wicket, finishing with excellent figures of three for 11 from four overs.
Pakistan’s spin attack continued to put pressure on Thailand throughout the innings. Tuba Hassan took two wickets for 17 runs, while Nashra Sundhu delivered one of the most economical spells of the match, conceding only six runs from her four overs and taking a wicket.
Thailand eventually reached 84 for eight in their allotted 20 overs, with Chanida Sutthiruang top-scoring with 25. However, Pakistan’s disciplined bowling prevented any serious threat to the target. Muneeba Ali was named Player of the Match for her crucial contribution.
The victory gives Pakistan an important two points at the start of their Asia Cup campaign. Their next challenge will be significantly tougher as they face India on September 5 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
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