Having already secured a semifinal berth, a formidable Indian side looks to step up the intensity against rivals Pakistan in their final Women's Asia Cup league fixture.
Having already secured a spot in the semifinals, overwhelming title favourites India are set to face traditional rivals Pakistan in their final league game of the Women's Asia Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
India enter the contest with openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma looking at the top of their game. Mandhana smashed a record-breaking century against Hong Kong in her previous outing. In the middle order, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh, and new number three Pratika Rawal will aim to spend more time at the crease to convert their starts, with Rawal working to adapt her successful ODI form to the demands of T20 cricket.
India's bowling attack has been bolstered by the addition of pace bowler Nandani Sharma, who is opening the bowling alongside spearhead Kranti Gaud. Batting on the Dubai surfaces has proven challenging, with players typically needing around 10 balls to assess the pace of the pitch before accelerating.
Pakistan remain in contention for the last-four stage following a victory over Thailand, where they managed to defend a low score of 119 despite losing three wickets during the powerplay. To challenge India, Pakistan will need a significant upgrade in their batting department, which relies heavily on opener Muneeba Ali and captain Fatima Sana.
India Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal.
Pakistan Squad: Fatima Sana (captain), Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wk), Sadaf Shamas, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.