Sri Lanka defeats UAE by nine wickets in Women's Asia Cup opener
Sri Lanka dismiss UAE for 79 and chase the target with 73 balls to spare 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 for the left-arm spinner, restricting UAE to a modest total.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu then remained unbeaten on 48 as Sri Lanka chased down the target with 73 balls remaining. Sri Lanka made several changes to the side that last faced Pakistan, giving opportunities to players who had not featured in recent matches.
The defending champions now face Bangladesh in their next group match as they look to build momentum through the tournament stages.
CricHubb Take
Sri Lanka's decision to rotate their squad heavily in the opening match suggests they are testing depth ahead of tougher encounters against stronger Asian sides later in the tournament.