Women's Asia Cup 2026 likely in UAE as ACC yet to make formal announcement

The sixth edition of the Women's T20 Asia Cup is expected to be held in the UAE, with the tournament pencilled in to run from August 28 to September 13, 2026. The Asian Cricket Council has not yet issued a formal public announcement confirming the dates, venue or schedule.

According to Cricinfo, the venues are currently being finalised. Eight teams are set to feature in the tournament, defending champions Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand and UAE, who are expected to serve as hosts. According to the information shared with teams, squads are due to arrive on August 27, with the final scheduled for September 13.

The ACC has communicated internally that the tournament is planned for late August and early September 2026, but the formal announcement covering the schedule, dates and venue remains pending final approval from the council's leadership. No public statement has been issued to date.

The delay has already caused difficulties for at least one participating board. The BCCI announced India's squad for the tournament and subsequently withdrew it, stating that the ACC had not yet formally confirmed the event. The withdrawal left India's selection in an uncertain position ahead of a tournament that carries significant weight in the regional women's calendar.

The absence of an official announcement has placed several boards in the position of planning around information that has not been publicly verified, complicating preparation timelines and squad management decisions.

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The tournament is scheduled to conclude on September 13, 2026. Shortly after that date, the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan will feature a women's cricket competition, with those matches scheduled to be held between September 17 and September 24.

The proximity of the two competitions means that the finalisation of the Asia Cup schedule is particularly important for teams that will need to manage player availability and travel across both events. Several nations are expected to field overlapping squads for the two tournaments.

With the ACC yet to make a formal announcement, the timeline for squad confirmations and preparation schedules remains unclear for a number of the eight participating nations. Boards are continuing to plan on the basis of the information shared in the July 22 email.