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India Women Beat Pakistan Women By Seven Wickets As Three Records Fall
India Women beat Pakistan Women by seven wickets in a Women's Asia Cup group match at Dubai International Stadium on Saturday. Pakistan were bowled out for 55 in 18.1 overs. It is the lowest total they have made in a women's T20I. India knocked the runs off in 8.4 overs, with 68 balls to spare.
Pakistan chose to bat. Shree Charani took 3 for 7 from four overs. Prema Rawat took 3 for 9. Deepti Sharma claimed two wickets and Shafali Verma one. Eyman Fatima was run out. The innings lasted 109 balls.
Charani and Rawat share six wickets
The surface gripped from the first over. Charani struck twice in the last over of the powerplay. Rawat bowled Sadaf Shamas. Fatima Sana, the Pakistan captain, made a duck from seven balls. Muneeba Ali top-scored with 13 from 15 balls. Shawaal Zulfiqar made 14. Nobody else reached double figures.
The openers put on 27. The last nine wickets produced 28 runs between them. The Tribune's account of the innings has Pakistan 29 for 3 after six overs, 35 for 6 inside 10, then 45 for 7 and 54 for 9. Pratika Rawal put down a straightforward chance that gave Muneeba a reprieve. It cost India nothing.
Charani was asked afterwards about her fellow spinner. "I think Prema is superb, like natural talent she has," she said, in remarks carried by ANI. "She has everything: fielding, batting, bowling."
Below the Dubai mark of 2024
Pakistan's previous lowest in the format was 56, against New Zealand, also in Dubai, in 2024. Their two lowest women's T20I totals have now come at the same ground. The Tribune lists the six lowest.
- 55 against India, Dubai, 2026
- 56 against New Zealand, Dubai, 2024
- 60 against England, Taunton, 2009
- 63 against India, Guangzhou, 2012
- 65 against West Indies, St Andrew's, 2011
- 72 against Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2018
Three of the six came against India or Sri Lanka. Ten wickets fell for 5.5 runs each.
Shafali reaches 3,000 in 2,182 balls
Shafali Verma passed 3,000 runs in women's T20Is during her innings of 12. She is the youngest to the mark at 22 years and 220 days. Ireland's Gaby Lewis was 24 years and 347 days when she got there. Shafali took 2,182 balls, inside Alyssa Healy's 2,321.
One qualifier is worth carrying. She is the fastest by balls faced, not by innings. Shafali needed 113 innings. Australia's Beth Mooney got there in 100. Gulf News set out both measures after the match.
Harmanpreet's 150th and the chase
Harmanpreet Kaur led India for the 150th time in a T20I. No cricketer, in the men's game or the women's, had captained a national side that often in the format. She finished 18 not out.
India lost three wickets chasing 56 and were home inside nine overs. Deepti Sharma finished 12 not out alongside her captain. The two were together at the end.
India finished the group stage unbeaten. Three matches, three wins, six points, after earlier results against Thailand and Hong Kong. Charani's 3 for 7 was the best analysis of the night.