The Women’s Emerging Asia Cup, originally planned to commence on 6th June in Sri Lanka, has been postponed. “Adverse weather conditions” and “health concerns owing to chikungunya disease” are cited as the reasons behind the delay, according to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President, Mohsin Naqvi.
“The ACC is committed to providing opportunities for young women cricketers to develop their skills and compete at the highest level,” Naqvi stated on X, previously known as Twitter. He emphasised the tournament’s importance for the future of women’s cricket in Asia and assured that efforts to reschedule are a top priority.
This decision followed a request from Shammi Silva, President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), who highlighted the pressing issues of severe weather and health risks. The Sri Lankan meteorological department recently issued warnings about heavy rains and strong winds affecting several provinces due to the strengthening southwest monsoon.
The ACC has announced that new dates for the tournament will be made public in due course. The inaugural event took place in Hong Kong in 2023, where India A triumphed over Bangladesh A by 31 runs in the final, with Shreyanka Patil earning the player of the series accolade. The tournament saw participation from eight teams, featuring a total of 15 matches including the knockout stages.
Separately, Devajit Saikia, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), mentioned that no decision concerning India’s participation in either the men’s Asia Cup or the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup has been communicated to the ACC. India is scheduled to host the men’s six-team Asia Cup in September.
