For Hong Kong women’s cricket, the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup is more than another tournament. It is a chance to measure how far they have come since their first appearance in 2012, when they did not yet have T20I status. They secured their place in this year’s tournament after reaching the semi-finals of the ACC Women’s Premier Cup in Malaysia.
Hong Kong finished eighth in 2012 after losing all three group matches, including a 142-run defeat to Pakistan after being bowled out for 15. The ICC granted T20I status to all its member nations from July 1, 2018, with Hong Kong playing their first WT20I in January 2019.
Their return to the Asia Cup as a recognised T20I side brings a much bigger challenge. Hong Kong will face Thailand on August 28 before taking on India on September 3 and Pakistan on September 7 in Group A.
For captain Natasha Miles, however, the focus is not on the stature of the opposition but on embracing the opportunity.
‘RELISH THE MOMENT’ AGAINST ASIA’S BEST
“We’ve spoken about it as a team: relish the moment,” Miles tells India Today in an interview organised by Sony.
“It’s not often that we get the opportunity to play teams like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and face the likes of Smriti (Mandhana) and Harmanpreet (Kaur), the big names on the international stage.
“So, it’s about taking this opportunity in our stride, making the most of it, going out there, expressing ourselves and showing what Hong Kong has been doing over the last few years, and how we can compete at that level.”
Hong Kong have built a strong record in regional cricket, winning the Women’s East Asia Cup in 2017 and 2022 before retaining the title in 2024. In the 2024 final against Japan, Miles and Mariko Hill put together an unbeaten opening stand as Hong Kong won by 10 wickets.
The Asia Cup, though, presents a different challenge. India and Pakistan offer Hong Kong an opportunity to test themselves against teams accustomed to the highest level of international cricket.
PLAYING THE GAME, NOT THE OPPOSITION
Miles believes the key will be avoiding intimidation by the names on the opposition team sheet. A recent conversation with former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena reinforced that approach.
“Interestingly, we had Mahela Jayawardena come and speak to us recently, and one big takeaway from that conversation was: how do we play the game and not the opposition?”
India’s star-studded line-up includes Mandhana, Renuka Thakur Singh, Deepti Sharma, Harmanpreet and many others, who can be genuine match-winners on their day.
“India are a big powerhouse team, and they have some brilliant, incredible legends of women’s cricket who will go on to make history in the game,” Miles says.
“But how do we put that to one side and go out there and play the ball and the game itself, rather than the bowler or the batter?”
The same philosophy applies to Pakistan, who boast players such as their captain Fatima Sana and others with experience in major franchise leagues.
“You’re going to go out there, test your skills against them and hopefully learn by playing against them and watching them,” Miles says.
A CAPTAIN SHAPED BY ENGLISH CRICKET
Miles brings considerable experience of playing alongside elite cricketers. She was part of the Middlesex set-up from 2010, making more than 150 appearances across formats. She captained Middlesex in T20 cricket from 2017 to 2019 and led them to the Women’s County T20 Cup title in 2018.
She also played for Lancashire Thunder in the Women’s Cricket Super League in 2018, sharing a dressing room with Harmanpreet, before retiring from England’s domestic cricket last year.
“I’ve been very lucky to play with some incredible players in English cricket throughout my career, and I’ve learned loads from the likes of Charlotte Edwards, Sarah Taylor and Heather Knight, whom I’ve played cricket with for many years,” she says.
“Taking all of that experience into the game is going to be fun, but also a little bit of a challenge in terms of keeping myself calm in certain situations.”
For Miles, that experience also needs to be balanced with the ideas of her current teammates and coaching staff.
“As a team, we’ve come together really well, and I’ve got a great support system through our coach and some of the senior players. Being able to bounce ideas off them and discuss things I’ve seen in the game, as well as fresh perspectives they’ve picked up, will be really key to how we approach this tournament.”
There is also the intriguing prospect of facing Harmanpreet again, this time as an opponent.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play with Harmanpreet quite a few years ago in Manchester, when we were with Lancashire Thunder in the early days of the Super League,” Miles says.
“She has obviously improved and progressed a huge amount since then, so it’ll be a slightly different challenge. But I’ll try to reflect on what I learned from playing with her and take that into the game.”
MORE THAN ONE TRUMP CARD
Hong Kong’s strength, Miles insists, lies in the collective rather than one individual.
Former India international Mamatha Maben is the team’s head coach, and Miles credits her with helping turn the group into a unit.
“In the last few months, it’s been hard to pinpoint one. We’ve really, not to sound cheesy, but Mamatha has worked hard with the group to make us a unit.”
There are, however, several players capable of making a difference.
Mariko Hill is Hong Kong’s leading T20I run-scorer, while Kary Chan is their all-time leading wicket-taker and a significant contributor with the bat.
“Kary Chan is always one to look out for. She’s a dual threat, a very talented bowler and a great batter,” Miles says.
Maryam Bibi has also emerged as an important middle-order option.
“Maryam Bibi has really come through and shone a light on her talent in the middle order as a batter. She has come in and allowed us to have a longer batting unit.”
Miles also highlights Marina Lamplough, while pointing to opening bowlers Iqra Sahar and Alison Siu as players who have made an impression recently.
“If I had to pick someone who could be a bit of a game-changer and show some fight, I think Maryam Bibi has shown a lot of that in the last few months for us.”
With Miles, Hill and Yasmin Daswani providing a settled top three, Hong Kong will hope their improved batting depth and bowling options can translate to the continental stage.
THE BIGGER DREAM: THE T20 WORLD CUP
For Hong Kong, the Asia Cup is also part of a bigger journey towards qualifying for the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Miles believes greater exposure to high-level competition will be vital, but so too will consistency.
“I think more exposure to competitions like this will be important, along with developing consistency and the mindset required to maintain that winning mentality and perform consistently.”
Hong Kong have produced standout performances in recent years, but the challenge now is to make those displays more frequent.
“We’ve had some standout performances in patches, and that’s starting to become more frequent, with longer periods where we’re really capitalising on being in form.”
The next step, Miles says, is turning those performances into a habit.
“It’s about how we can take that and make it a habit — make winning a habit, and make turning up and performing a habit. I think that’s our next step.”
That perhaps sums up Hong Kong’s Asia Cup mission.
They are not travelling to Dubai simply to admire India’s stars or measure themselves against their experience. They are going to test the progress they have made, learn from the best and show that Hong Kong women’s cricket belongs on this stage.
The gap may still be significant. But for Miles and her team, that gap is precisely what makes the opportunity so valuable.
The Asia Cup is the immediate challenge. The World Cup is the bigger dream.
And Hong Kong are daring to believe that this could be the beginning of something bigger.
– Ends
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