The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for this year’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup set to begin on July 19 and to be played at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka will embark on their defence of the Asia Cup title against Bangladesh in their first game on July 20, while UAE will play Nepal in the tournament opener.

The tournament will feature top eight teams of Asia divided into two groups of four. While India – in Group B – are slotted alongside Pakistan, UAE and Nepal, hosts Sri Lanka are in Group A with Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, subsequently setting up the summit clash. The final shall be played on July 28.

India is the most successful team in the competition’s history with seven titles, out of eight.

The Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium was inaugurated after its renovations on February 05, 2024, together with the latest LED lighting system which brings it up to international standards.

The newly inaugurated ‘Centre of Excellence’ at the Dambulla Stadium, a significant milestone in the “National Cricket Development Pathway” program aimed at providing equal opportunities to talented Sri Lankan cricketers also features a hydrotherapy unit and a state-of-the-art medical centre dedicated to sports injury rehabilitation and a new international-level swimming pool complex.