UAE Successfully Hosts Women's T20 Asia Cup Amid Regional Conflict

Despite the heat in Dubai, about 200 fans waited long after the conclusion of the Women's T20 Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium last Saturday. Most of the more than 12,000 spectators faced traffic jams near the majestic stadium as time approached 10 PM, almost an hour after India secured a convincing victory over Pakistan on the field.

However, these two hundred fans were not in a hurry to leave. They stood, gazing at the players' exit, each taking their place in the first, second, or third row behind the barriers, waiting to see their idols. With every passing moment, nervous excitement grew. Then the team bus pulled up right in front of them, heightening expectations and eliciting cheers of approval.

Among the crowd was a group of four teenagers, one of whom was dressed in the Indian tricolor. When Smriti Mandhana finally emerged from the gates, the boy with the flag let out a loud roar, jumped into the air, did a mid-air turn, and landed, raising one hand to the sky. This resembled Cristiano Ronaldo's famous celebration.

Despite the deafening noise, Mandhana, displaying a composed demeanor reminiscent of Lionel Messi, slowly headed toward the bus, her head bowed. As soon as Mandhana disappeared behind the tinted glass, some Indian players took selfies and signed autographs for some fans, which brought big smiles to the young admirers.

The crowd was satisfied but desired more. They began chanting a song whose melody had previously been heard in stadiums across India about 13 years ago. This iconic, goosebump-inducing song sounded like: 'Sachin... Sachin, Sachin... Sachin.' Although Tendulkar was not in Dubai that Saturday night, Mandhana was present, who can be considered the first global superstar of women's cricket.

To see her, the crowd started chanting her name with the energy of 'Sachin': 'Smriti... Smriti, Smriti... Smriti.' The roar grew louder, reaching a climax when Mandhana finally agreed to step out of the bus to exchange high-fives with several lucky fans in the first row before taking a few quick selfies.

For a reporter who covered the main men's domestic matches in India—the Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophy finals—during the early and mid-2000s on empty Delhi stadiums, where play was sometimes interrupted by stray dogs, watching these scenes was incredible.

Until about ten years ago, most international matches of the Indian women's team rarely drew a decent crowd. The country's top female cricketers never made the front pages despite impressive performances, including reaching the semi-finals of the 1997 and 2000 ODI World Cups, and finishing as silver medalists in 2005. Elite players of that era, such as Nita David, Anjum Chopra, Mitali Raj, and Julan Goswami, never experienced playing in packed home stadiums.

Among the 200 fans that Saturday was Umesh Agarwal, a long-time resident of Dubai, who witnessed the incredible intensity of emotions associated with Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma, and the rest of the current team. Agarwal attributes the new success of Indian women's cricket to the Women's Premier League (WPL), launched in 2023.

The country, which lost to Bangladesh by a score of nine to zero in its first women's international match in 2007, is now on the verge of a historic event. A victory in the last Group B match against Bangladesh—the opponents from their debut match in 2007—on Tuesday in Dubai will allow the UAE team, led by Esha Oza, to secure a historic place in the Women's T20 Asia Cup semi-finals.

Nearly two decades after their unsuccessful debut with a 'mothers and daughters' team, the UAE has received a golden opportunity to demonstrate significant progress in their cricket.

When the teams take to the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday at 18:30, Chaya Mugal will be closely watching every moment with great anticipation. It was under her leadership that the UAE debuted at the Asia Cup in 2022.

Now, as the team fights for a semi-final spot after qualifying for the Asia Cup for the third consecutive time, Mugal feels proud. The former UAE captain told Khaleej Times: 'We are potentially just one win away from making it into one of Asia's top four teams. This will be a huge step for women's cricket in the UAE, especially considering the first Asia Cup will be held in the UAE.'

Mugal emphasized that the current situation is a privilege for the UAE while the country strives to attract more young girls to cricket. She noted that many schoolgirls will come to watch the game the next day (Tuesday), and they conducted trophy tours in various schools on Monday, so the girls are very excited.

'So I think we are really looking forward to this—a good cricket game in front of a crowd. We just need to play better than Bangladesh for one night. I think this will be a big story for us.'

The UAE, which surprised the Zimbabwe team, a full member of the ICC, in a bilateral series last year, is now among the most stable affiliated teams in the world, having gained ODI status last year. Women's cricket in the country is bearing fruit from the far-sighted initiatives undertaken by the Emirates Cricket Board, which received the ICC Development Award.

Mugal added that the Asia Cup is a chance to raise awareness in UAE schools. She mentioned that several years ago, it was difficult to find a good group of players capable of playing cricket, but now the development program is working very well. 'The best part is that we now have many players waiting in line and trying to make it into the national team. Seeing these girls master the sport is very inspiring.'

Mugal believes that a spot in the Asia Cup semi-finals will be the finishing touch. She noted that they are playing against the best teams in Asia, and gaining such experience for the players, the opportunity to play against those they have always dreamed of meeting—Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and if they reach the semi-finals, India—is a huge experience.

Former UAE men's captain Ahmed Raza, who previously coached the women's team, believes that Esha's team has the potential for a sensation against Bangladesh. He recalled that this is the same UAE team that defeated Zimbabwe last year. He noted that it was a historic moment—their first ODI tournament, first ODI victory, and first T20 series victory against a full ICC member. 'This entire tour, covering ODI and T20, was full of premieres. So many records were broken left, right, and center.'

The women's teams of India and Pakistan will meet today, Saturday, at the International Stadium in Dubai. This intense Women's Asian Cup 2026 match is scheduled for 20:00. The Harmanpreet Kaur team has already secured a spot in the semi-finals by winning the first two matches, while the Indian team faces the task of confronting Pakistan.

Matches between India and Pakistan on sports fields are always highly competitive. However, statistics show a clear advantage for India within the Women's Asian Cup. In all seven T20 Asian Cup matches between the two teams, Pakistan has managed to defeat India only once, which occurred in Sylhet in 2022.

This time, the Harmanpreet Kaur team remains a strong contender. India guaranteed its place in the semi-finals by securing convincing victories over Thailand and Hong Kong. Specifically, against Hong Kong, India scored 193 runs and achieved a decisive victory by a margin of 137 runs. Smriti Mandhana delivered an impressive innings of 124 runs, setting several significant records.

Nevertheless, victory over Pakistan cannot depend solely on statistics. In Dubai, India faces three serious obstacles that could change the course of the game.

The first obstacle is the toss factor. In the early stages of the Asian Cup, captains most often chose to start the game with a toss, whereas in six out of seven matches, the teams preferred to chase the target. However, the pitch situation in Dubai is not straightforward. Although the field looks suitable for batsmen in the initial phase, it may slow down as the match progresses, giving a significant advantage to spinners. In the current tournament, spinners have taken more wickets than fast bowlers.

The question of whether to choose an attack or defense start after winning the toss will be difficult for Harmanpreet.

The second challenge is the influence of spin bowling. The dominance of spinners is evident in this Asian Cup: they have taken 71 wickets, with an economy rate of about 5.1, while fast bowlers have taken only 31 wickets at an economy rate of 6.18. India has an answer to this challenge through the presence of spinners like Dipti Sharma and Radha Yadav, allowing the team to put pressure on Pakistan in the middle of the innings. Dipti has already proven her usefulness by taking six wickets in the first two matches.

However, Pakistan could repeat this history. Therefore, if the pitch slows down, the middle overs will become difficult for aggressive Indian batsmen.

The third hurdle is the hot conditions of Dubai. Despite the evening timing of the match, the heat and humidity will test the players. Forecasts indicate that the temperature during the game will be around 36-37 degrees Celsius, and due to high humidity, the heat will feel stronger. The probability of rain is nil. Thus, the players will have to contend not only with Pakistan's bowling but also with the hot and humid conditions of Dubai. Smriti Mandhana previously described these conditions as being like a 'steam chamber.'

Despite these three difficulties, India's chances remain higher. The team is in excellent form, and an aggressive start from the top order by Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma could be the biggest problem for Pakistan. Mandhana, after her 124-run innings against Hong Kong, gained immense confidence. She has also become the leading batter in women's international cricket in terms of runs scored.

For Harmanpreet, this match is also special as she will play her 150th T20I match as captain—a record number for any captain in men's or women's cricket.

Statistics are on India's side, but the test in Dubai is yet to come. On paper, India is clearly stronger: 6 wins out of 7 against Pakistan in the T20 Asian Cup is the most convincing proof. Pakistan's game also looked unstable, whereas India won both its matches by a margin of over 90 runs.

However, on Saturday, the story will not only revolve around the India versus Pakistan confrontation. On one side will be India's dominance, and on the other, the three enemies of Dubai: the toss, spin, and heat. If the Harmanpreet Kaur team can overcome these three challenges, India's dominance over Pakistan will become even more obvious.