Pakistan Women have secured their place in the Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals with a convincing 72-run victory over Hong Kong at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan Women secured their place in the semi-finals of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 with a commanding 72-run victory over Hong Kong, finishing second in Group A behind India. The result set up a semi-final clash against Group B leaders Sri Lanka, scheduled to be played at the same venue on September 11.
For Hong Kong, the defeat brought their Asia Cup campaign to an end without a win, leaving them at the bottom of the Group A table. Thailand also saw their slim hopes of reaching the knockout stage disappear, with the team finishing third on two points.
Chasing 144 for victory, Hong Kong struggled against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack and were dismissed for 71 in 19 overs. The innings never gained momentum, with Pakistan’s bowlers regularly finding breakthroughs.
Hong Kong all-rounder Chan provided the only significant resistance. Coming to the crease in the second over, she attempted to anchor the innings and finished as her side’s top scorer with a determined 30 off 47 balls. Her resistance ended when Ayesha Zafar bowled her with the opening delivery of the 16th over.
Chan had earlier combined with wicketkeeper-batter Yasmin Daswani for a 31-run partnership for the third wicket. Daswani contributed 13 from 18 deliveries, while Joyleen Kaur was the only other Hong Kong batter to reach double figures, scoring 10.
Pakistan’s bowling was spearheaded by Sandhu, who produced a remarkable spell of 6-7 in four overs. Her figures represented the best bowling performance by a Pakistani bowler in the shortest format. Sadia Iqbal, Ayesha Zafar, Umm-e-Hani and captain Fatima Sana each claimed one wicket.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana’s decision to bat first paid off as her side posted 143-8 in their allotted 20 overs. Joyleen Kaur was Hong Kong’s standout bowler, claiming four wickets and keeping Pakistan’s scoring in check.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first against Hong Kong in a crucial Group A clash of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026. Led by captain Fatima Sana, Pakistan are aiming to strengthen their chances of reaching the semifinals after a mixed start to their campaign. They began the tournament with a win over Thailand but suffered a heavy seven-wicket defeat to India in their second match.
Pakistan’s batting came under serious pressure against India, as they were bowled out for just 55 runs. The team will now be looking for a much-improved batting performance against Hong Kong as they push for a place in the semifinals.