India Triumphs Over Pakistan in Women’s Asia Cup Match
Dubai, UAE – September 6 (ANI): In what can be described as a dominant performance, the Indian women’s cricket team defeated their arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets in a Women’s Asia Cup 2026 match at the Dubai International Stadium. Spinner Sree Charani lauded her teammate Prema Rawat, referring to her as a “natural talent” after their impressive victory.
Pakistan struggled significantly, being bowled out for just 55 runs. India easily chased down the target in a swift 8.4 overs, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur scoring 18 and Deepti Sharma managing 12 runs to finish the match unbeaten.
Charani and Rawat were instrumental in dismantling the Pakistani batting lineup, each taking three wickets. Charani’s bowling figures were an outstanding 3 for 7 in 4 overs, while Rawat’s figures stood at 3 for 9 in the same number of overs. During the post-match press conference, Charani praised Rawat for her all-around abilities in batting, bowling, and fielding. “I think Prema is superb; like natural talent she has,” she remarked.
With this victory, India completed an undefeated run in the group stage, winning all three of their matches. They previously secured victories against Thailand and Hong Kong, accumulating a total of six points. Pakistan’s final group-stage match against Hong Kong now looms as a crucial game, determining their fate for a spot in the semifinals.
Reflecting on the mindset heading into the high-stakes match with Pakistan, Charani emphasized the importance of focusing on one game at a time instead of overthinking. “It’s simple, sir. One game at a time. It’s not about anything,” she stated.
In the match, India began their chase for the modest total with openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Verma wasted no time in getting India off to a good start, hitting a six off the first ball. She also achieved a personal milestone by scoring 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals, making her the youngest player to reach this mark at just 22 years and 220 days.
However, Verma’s innings was short-lived, as Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana dismissed her for 12 runs in the second over. Pratika Rawal followed shortly, falling victim to Sana on the next delivery after scoring 4 runs. Mandhana, who had recently scored a century in the previous match, could only manage 9 runs before also being dismissed by Sana, leaving India at a shaky 29 for 3.
Fortunately, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Deepti Sharma steadied the ship, guiding India to 34 for 3 by the end of the powerplay. Sana’s exceptional bowling during the powerplay saw her claim all three wickets for Pakistan.
India ultimately completed the chase comfortably within nine overs, with Kaur and Sharma leading the way to a convincing victory.
Earlier, the match saw Charani and Rawat’s fiery spells wreak havoc on Pakistan’s batting order, restricting them to just 55 runs. Openers Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar managed to put on a cautious 27-run partnership before the Indian bowlers took over.
After a slow start, Charani’s breakthrough came as she claimed two quick wickets, sending Pakistan tumbling to 29 for 3 early in their innings. The rest of the Pakistan team struggled to recover, as they were bowled out for a mere 55 runs in 18.1 overs.
Charani’s outstanding bowling effort (3/7) alongside Rawat’s (3/9) and supporting roles from Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma sealed Pakistan’s fate in this high-stakes encounter.
