India completed a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan after dismissing their rivals for their lowest-ever Women’s T20 International total in the DP World Women’s Asia Cup 2026 at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan collapsed from 27 without loss to 55 all out in 18.1 overs, losing all 10 wickets for just 28 runs as India’s spinners took control of the Group A contest.
Shree Charani and Prema Rawat claimed three wickets each, while Deepti Sharma took two. India then reached 57 for three in 8.4 overs, completing the win with 68 balls remaining.
The result ensured India finished at the top of Group A with three victories from three matches.
Pakistan head coach Wahab Riaz admitted that pressure affected his players’ decision-making during a collapse that overshadowed what had been a promising start.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Wahab was asked by Dubai Diaries whether the loss of 10 wickets for 28 runs showed that Pakistan’s batters were struggling to cope with the pressure of the occasion.
“From the start to the end, obviously there was pressure,” Wahab said. “I think they couldn’t sustain that.
“The plans were very simple – to go and play, stay there and trust yourself and your abilities. But I think we missed the point that we just needed to bat for a little longer.
“Under pressure, we made some decisions which brought us to this disaster.”
Wahab’s assessment summed up an innings in which Pakistan repeatedly lost wickets while trying to force the pace on a surface offering assistance to the spinners.
He said the players had been instructed to spend time at the crease, rotate the strike and wait for the right opportunity to play their attacking shots.
“We lost two wickets in an over and then kept losing wickets every three or four balls,” he said.
“That was not what was required. The message was to take one or two overs, take singles, rotate the strike and then play your shots whenever you got the opportunity.”
Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat, a decision Wahab continued to defend despite the result. He believed a total of around 140 could have placed India under considerable pressure on a surface that slowed during the second innings.
There was a brief indication of that when Pakistan captain Fatima Sana took three early wickets during India’s chase.
However, Pakistan’s total left their bowlers with almost no margin for error.
Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar had given Pakistan a steady start with a 27-run opening partnership. Muneeba made 13 from 15 balls, while Shawaal top-scored with 14 from 14.
Sree Charani of India receives the Player of the Match Award during the presentation of the Match 9 of the DP World Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on September 5, 2026.
Photo by Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS
Shafali Verma ended the partnership when she bowled Muneeba in the fifth over. Charani then removed Shawaal, Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar as Pakistan’s innings began to unravel.
The middle order was unable to rebuild. Sadaf Shamas was bowled by Rawat before Deepti trapped captain Fatima lbw for a duck.
Eyman Fatima was run out, while Rawat continued to apply pressure to the lower order. Charani finished with three for seven from four overs, while Rawat returned three for nine and delivered 19 dot balls.
Pakistan’s 55 was their lowest score in Women’s T20I cricket, replacing their previous lowest of 56. The collapse came in the team’s 200th match in the format.
Charani, who was named Player of the Match, said India’s bowlers had recognised that the surface would turn and adjusted their approach accordingly.
“By looking at the pitch, we knew that it might turn,” she said. “I just tried to bowl at the stumps and focused on that.”
The 22-year-old also explained that India’s spinners had worked together before the match to prepare their plans.
“Before the match, the three of us – Prema, Deepti and I – sat together and discussed what we needed to do,” she said. “We just tried to implement that here.”
Charani’s simple approach proved decisive. By attacking the stumps and allowing the pitch to provide the variation, she denied Pakistan’s batters the freedom to settle or build another partnership.
She also refused to attach any additional personal significance to succeeding against Pakistan.
“It is not about that,” she said. “It is about myself. I just want to focus on my own game and do my things correctly.”
India’s chase began aggressively when Shafali struck Sadia Iqbal for six from the first ball. She hit another boundary off Fatima but was caught and bowled on the following delivery for 12 from six balls.
Fatima then dismissed Pratika Rawal for four and trapped Smriti Mandhana lbw for nine, reducing India to 29 for three after four overs.
The Pakistan captain finished with three for 17 from three overs, providing her team’s only significant resistance in the second innings.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti responded calmly, adding an unbeaten 28 runs to complete the chase. Deepti finished on 12 not out, while Harmanpreet made an unbeaten 18 from 18 balls.
Harmanpreet sealed the victory in style, hitting Nashra Sandhu for a boundary before stepping down the pitch and launching the next ball for a straight six.
The match marked Harmanpreet’s 150th T20I as India captain, while Shafali became the youngest player to reach 3,000 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals.
India will enter the semi-finals unbeaten and with their bowling attack in outstanding form. Pakistan remain in contention for a place in the knockout stage, but the manner of their batting collapse leaves them with considerable work to do.
Brief scores: Pakistan 55 all out in 18.1 overs (Shawaal Zulfiqar 14, Muneeba Ali 13; Shree Charani 3-7, Prema Rawat 3-9, Deepti Sharma 2-5) lost to India 57-3 in 8.4 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 18 not out, Shafali Verma 12; Fatima Sana 3-17) by seven wickets.
