Sri Lanka defeats UAE by nine wickets in Asia Cup opener

Sri Lanka began their Women's Asia Cup 2026 title defense with a nine-wicket victory over UAE after bowling the hosts out for 79 in Dubai. Vimukthi and Ayodhya took three wickets each on T20I debut, restricting UAE to a modest total.

Captain Chamari Athapaththu remained unbeaten on 48 as Sri Lanka chased down the target with 73 balls remaining. The defending champions made several changes to the side that last faced Pakistan.

Sri Lanka now face Bangladesh in their next group match as they look to build momentum through the tournament stages.