Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026: Full Fixtures, Dates and PKT Times as Bhopal Gets Ready
Nine days, six teams, one trophy. The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy starts in Bhopal on 19 November, and India go in as defending champions with a target on their backs.
The tournament runs 19 to 28 November at the Barkheda Nathu International Sports Complex in Bhopal. Six teams play a round-robin, the top four reach the semi-finals, and the final is on Friday 28 November. India won this thing in 2016, 2023 and 2024. South Korea have three titles of their own. Nobody else in the field has ever lifted it.
China are the highest-ranked team in Asia right now, fourth in the world. That makes them the side to beat on paper, even if India have the home crowd and the recent winning habit. Japan sit 11th, Korea 15th, Malaysia 21st and Thailand 28th. On rankings alone, the fight for the fourth semi-final spot looks like the tightest race in the group.
The fixtures in full (all times PKT)
Wednesday 19 November, opening day
- China v Thailand, 12:30pm
- Japan v South Korea, 2:45pm
- India v Malaysia, 6:30pm (after the opening ceremony)
Friday 21 November
- China v Malaysia, 2:00pm
- Thailand v Japan, 4:15pm
- India v South Korea, 6:30pm
Saturday 22 November
- Japan v China, 2:00pm
- South Korea v Malaysia, 4:15pm
- Thailand v India, 6:30pm
Monday 24 November
- South Korea v Thailand, 2:00pm
- Malaysia v Japan, 4:15pm
- India v China, 6:30pm
Tuesday 25 November
- Malaysia v Thailand, 2:00pm
- China v South Korea, 4:15pm
- Japan v India, 6:30pm
Thursday 27 November, knockouts
- Fifth-place match, 1:30pm
- Semi-final 1, 4:00pm
- Semi-final 2, 6:30pm
Friday 28 November
- Bronze medal match, 4:00pm
- Final, 6:30pm
India’s group games are all in the evening slot, 6:30pm PKT, which suits the home crowd and the TV audience. The one to circle is Monday 24 November: India v China, the defending champions against Asia’s top-ranked side. If both teams win their first two games, that one decides who tops the group.
For our money, the group is India’s to lose, but China are the real danger. They’ve been Asia’s most consistent side this cycle, and a round-robin gives them room to build. Korea, as ever, will be horrible to play against in a one-off semi-final. The hosts should make the final. Getting past China to win it is another matter.
