Women's Emerging Asia Cup postponed due to weather and health concerns in Sri Lanka

The second edition of the Women's Emerging Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on June 6 in Sri Lanka, has been postponed due to "adverse weather conditions" and "health concerns owing to chikungunya disease", the ACC president Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Monday.

"The ACC is committed to providing opportunities for young women cricketers to develop their skills and compete at the highest level," Naqvi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "We understand the strategic significance of this tournament in shaping the future of women's cricket in Asia, and we will work diligently to reschedule the event at the earliest possible date."

Naqvi said that the ACC decided to defer the tournament after the SLC president Shammi Silva wrote to them, seeking postponement due to weather and health concerns. Last week, Sri Lanka's meteorological department issued a weather advisory warning of strong winds and heavy showers across multiple provinces in the country due to the strengthening of the southwest monsoon.

The ACC said the new dates for the tournament will be announced in due course. The inaugural edition was held in Hong Kong in 2023, where India A beat Bangladesh A by 31 runs in the final to become champions. Shreyanka Patil was named player of the series there. Eight teams had participated in the tournament and a total of 15 matches, including the knockouts, were played.

Earlier, the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had said that the Indian board had not communicated any decision to the ACC concerning India's participation in the Asia Cup as well as the Women's Emerging Asia Cup. India are due to host the six-team men's Asia Cup in September.