Dubai, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 is heating up as India faces Pakistan in the ninth match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s captain, Fatima Sana, won the toss and elected to bat first.
After winning the toss, Sana expressed her team’s strategy. “We want to bat first to set a high score. Our bowling is strong, and we aim to restrict them to a low total. We will play according to the pitch conditions. There are no changes in our team,” she stated.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, reflecting on losing the toss, said, “It’s good that we have the chance to chase. Playing my 150th T20 International as captain is a significant achievement. The most important thing is to enjoy the game. We will try to keep them to a low score and are playing with the same team.”
India has already secured a spot in the semifinals, winning both of their matches under Kaur’s leadership. Key players Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma are in excellent form, with Mandhana scoring a century against Hong Kong and Verma hitting a half-century against Thailand.
On the bowling front, the duo of Kranti Gaud and Nandani Sharma has been particularly effective, with Nandani taking five wickets in the tournament. Deepti Sharma has also been impressive, claiming six wickets across two matches. Prema Rawat’s spinning deliveries have posed challenges for opposing batsmen.
Meanwhile, Pakistan began their tournament with a victory over Thailand, where Muniba Ali showcased her talent with a strong 54-run innings. However, other batsmen struggled to support her. In bowling, Sadia Iqbal took three wickets.
The playing XI for India includes: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandani Sharma, Shri Charani, and Kranti Gaud.
Pakistan’s lineup features: Muniba Ali (wicketkeeper), Shawal Zulfiqar, Javeria Khan, Ayesha Jafar, Sadaf Shams, Fatima Sana (captain), Umm-e-Hani, Iman Fatima, Tuba Hasan, Nashra Sundhu, and Sadia Iqbal.
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