India opened their campaign with a commanding 94-run victory over Thailand and currently sit at the top of Group A with two points and an impressive net run rate of +4.700. Hong Kong, meanwhile, are under pressure after losing their opening match to Thailand by six runs. They fought hard while chasing 120 but finished on 114/7, leaving them needing a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Despite their comfortable win over Thailand, India will have some concerns to address with the bat. They were cruising at 101/2 after 10 overs before losing seven wickets for just 29 runs to finish on 159/9. Shafali Verma provided the standout performance, smashing 64 off 36 balls to give India a flying start. Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal will be keen to convert their starts, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur will also be looking to find her rhythm.

With a tougher Group A clash against Pakistan coming up on September 5, the Hong Kong game offers India an opportunity to give their batting unit greater confidence while potentially testing their bench strength.

India’s bowling, however, was near flawless in the opener. Deepti Sharma made history by becoming the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is after returning sensational figures of 3/0 against Thailand. She also became only the third Indian woman, after Harmanpreet and Mandhana, to reach 150 T20I appearances.

Hong Kong will enter the contest as underdogs but showed plenty of resilience in their opening game. Their bowling attack kept Thailand under pressure, with Marina Lamplough producing an outstanding spell of 4/11. Kary Chan also provided impetus with a 20-ball 28, but Hong Kong’s chase ultimately fell six runs short.

Lamplough will be crucial against an Indian top order featuring Mandhana and Shafali, while Hong Kong will need a significantly stronger batting effort if they are to challenge the seven-time champions.