New Delhi: Continuing their dominant run in the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup 2026, the Indian women’s cricket team delivered a clinical performance on Saturday, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided Group A encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With this comprehensive victory, India extended their winning streak to three matches, finishing the group stage unbeaten and comfortably advancing to the semi-finals.
Asked to bat first after Pakistan won the toss, the batting lineup collapsed spectacularly under immense pressure from the Indian bowling attack. On a spin-friendly surface, the Pakistani batters failed to show any application, getting bundled out for a paltry 55 runs in 18.1 overs—their lowest-ever total in T20 Internationals.
Young left-arm spinner Shree Charani spearheaded the demolition with stellar figures of 3 for 7 in her spell, while fellow spinner Prema Rawat wreaked havoc with figures of 3 for 9. All-rounder Deepti Sharma also chipped in with two crucial wickets, while opener Shafali Verma claimed one wicket. The disciplined bowling effort meant that almost the entire Pakistan innings was dismantled by spin, compounded by a late run-out.
Chasing a modest target of 56 runs, India experienced a minor wobble early on. The team lost openers Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, and Smriti Mandhana cheaply, slipping to 29 for 3 inside the powerplay. However, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma showed immense composure to steady the ship.
Harmanpreet anchored the chase with an unbeaten 18 runs, while Deepti contributed 12 not out. The Indian skipper ultimately sealed the match in style with a boundary and a towering six, helping India reach 57 for 3 in just 8.4 overs and securing victory with 68 balls to spare.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, captain Harmanpreet Kaur noted, “The whole team is performing well. If you look at the bowling unit or the batting unit, I think both are balanced. The one who has a good day tries to do better and take the game further, while those around her try to stay positive.”
With the group stage concluded with a flawless record, the Indian side will now look to carry this winning momentum into the knockout stages of the continental tournament.