Pakistan face India in high-stakes Women’s Asia Cup clash today

Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in their second match of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 in Dubai on Saturday, with the Green Shirts looking to produce a strong batting display and claim only their second victory over India in the tournament’s history. The high-profile Group A clash will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with India already through to the semi-finals after winning both their matches against Thailand and Hong Kong, China. Pakistan, meanwhile, have played just one game and opened their campaign with a 35-run victory over Thailand. Their final group-stage fixture is against Hong Kong, meaning they remain well placed to reach the knockout stage regardless of Saturday’s result. Pakistan will, however, be aiming to make a statement against an India side that has dominated the early stages of the tournament. India began their campaign with a 94-run win over Thailand before crushing Hong Kong by 137 runs to move to the top of Group A. Their batting has been led by openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who have scored 143 and 92 runs respectively. Mandhana has been particularly impressive, breaking several records in the women’s game during India’s win over Hong Kong. Pakistan’s batting unit will need to rise to the occasion against India after failing to make a substantial total against Thailand. Muneeba Ali provided the mainstay of the innings with a 54 off 52 balls, while Pakistan’s bowlers then produced an impressive performance to seal victory. Sadia Iqbal took 3-11, and Tuba Hassan claimed 2-17 as Pakistan restricted Thailand to secure a 35-run win. Pakistan can draw confidence from their recent performances on slower pitches during their bilateral tour of Sri Lanka in July and August. They crossed the 170-run mark twice during the series, with Shawaal Zulfiqar and Muneeba Ali demonstrating their ability to accelerate when required. Zulfiqar, 21, is yet to feature against India and could provide Pakistan with an attacking option in the powerplay. Pakistan will also rely heavily on their spin attack, with Nashra Sundhu and Sadia Iqbal ranked seventh and ninth respectively in the ICC Women’s T20I bowling rankings. India all-rounder Deepti Sharma acknowledged the threat posed by Pakistan’s bowlers but said her team would remain focused on its own strengths.

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