Agencies | Dubai:
India Women take on arch-rivals Pakistan Women in their third and final Group A match of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
India have already secured their place in the semifinals after a commanding 137-run victory over Hong Kong, China in their previous match. The win was powered by a record-breaking 124 from Smriti Mandhana.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have played only one match so far, defeating Thailand by 35 runs in their tournament opener. A victory over India would secure Pakistan’s place in the semifinals and eliminate Hong Kong, China from the competition.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and elected to bat first. She said her side’s plan was to post a substantial total and rely on their bowling strength to defend it.
Fatima said the team had discussed its approach and would assess the pitch and conditions before executing its plans. Pakistan have retained the same playing XI that featured in their opening match.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said her team was comfortable chasing and believed the bowling unit had done well in the tournament. She stressed the importance of batters taking their time and assessing the slow conditions in Dubai.
The match also marks a significant milestone for Harmanpreet, who is leading India for the 150th time in T20Is. She becomes the first captain—male or female—to reach 150 T20I appearances as a team leader.
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Richa Ghosh (WK), Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandani Sharma, Sree Charani and Kranti Gaud.
Muneeba Ali (WK), Shawaal Zulfiqar, Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Sadaf Shamas, Fatima Sana (C), Umm-e-Hani, Eyman Fatima, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sundhu and Sadia Iqbal.
India have enjoyed a clear advantage over Pakistan in women’s T20Is, winning 14 of their 17 meetings. India have also won their last four encounters against their neighbours.
While India have already booked their semifinal berth, Pakistan will be looking to produce a strong performance to seal their own place in the last four.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7:35 pm IST at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
