India captain Harmanpreet Kaur chose to focus on the positives after her team continued its dominant start to the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, defeating Hong Kong by 137 runs in their Group A match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

India posted a formidable 193/5 in 20 overs, powered by a record-breaking innings from Smriti Mandhana, before their bowlers dismissed Hong Kong for just 56 in 16.2 overs. The emphatic victory gave India their second successive win in the tournament and confirmed their place in the semi-finals.

Smriti Mandhana leads India to another convincing win

Mandhana produced one of the standout performances of the tournament so far, smashing an unbeaten 124 off 64 balls. Her innings helped India recover from a challenging start and finish close to the 200-run mark that Harmanpreet and the team had targeted.

Shafali Verma also provided valuable support at the top of the order. Harmanpreet praised both openers after the match, highlighting their contribution in setting up India’s imposing total.

Mandhana’s knock was also historic. She became the leading century-maker in women’s international cricket and moved past Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket.

Harmanpreet acknowledges middle-order concern

While pleased with the result, Harmanpreet admitted that India’s middle order still needs more time in the middle. She explained that the decision to bat first was partly aimed at allowing the batters to understand the conditions in Dubai.

The India captain said the pitch was better than the one they encountered in their previous match, but stressed that the players still needed to spend more time in the middle and adapt to unfamiliar conditions.

Despite the middle-order concern, India achieved their target of getting close to 200 before the bowling attack completed the job.

India seal semi-final spot, Pakistan next

India’s bowling attack once again delivered a clinical performance. Deepti Sharma took 3/9, while Prema Rawat, Shree Charani and Nandani Sharma also made significant contributions as Hong Kong collapsed for 56.

The 137-run win is among India’s biggest victories in women’s T20I cricket and also confirmed their semi-final qualification with two wins from two Group A matches.

India will now turn their attention to their much-anticipated Group A clash against Pakistan on September 5. With the semi-final place already secured, the match will provide another opportunity for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side to test itself against a major rival before the knockout stage.

Harmanpreet also praised Hong Kong’s enthusiasm and their enjoyment of the game, saying it served as a reminder that even at the highest level of competition, players should continue to enjoy their cricket.