Pakistan Women's Team Defeats Thailand in Asian Games 2026 Quarterfinal

The composition of the Women's Asia Cup 2026 final has been determined. The final match between the teams of India and Sri Lanka will take place on Sunday, September 13, at the International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Prior to this, in the semi-final held on Friday, September 11, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 4 wickets, thereby earning the right to participate in the title match.

Previously, both teams met in a final where Sri Lanka managed to beat India and win the Asia Cup title for the first time.

In the semi-final against Pakistan, Sri Lanka was set a target of 131 runs. The start of the game was extremely unsuccessful for Sri Lanka, which lost four batsmen, scoring only 33 runs in the first 6.2 overs. The situation was saved by Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari, who built an important partnership of 67 runs for the fifth wicket.

Harshita Samarawickrama contributed to the game by scoring 36 runs off 31 balls, including two fours. Kavisha Dilhari added another 33 runs off 33 balls, using four fours. However, Pakistan's captain, Fatima Sana, managed to dismiss Harshita Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari in one over, once again putting Sri Lanka under pressure. At that time, the team's score was 109/6, and they needed to score 22 runs in the last three overs.

At the decisive moment, Nilashka Silva (not out, 18 runs) and Kaushani Nuthangana (not out, 10 runs) brought the team to the target, leaving 8 balls. Despite Fatima taking four wickets in bowling, her team failed to capitalize on this advantage, and Sri Lanka won the match despite the pressure.

Earlier, when Pakistan came out to bat after losing the toss, the situation was also difficult. In 10 overs, their score was 52/4. After this, captain Fatima Sana took charge, scoring 47 runs off 36 balls not out. During this innings, Fatima hit four fours and two sixes. Thanks to her performance, the Pakistani team managed to reach a score of 130 runs while losing five batsmen.

The clash between India and Sri Lanka in the final will recall the events of the 2024 title match. In that previous edition, Sri Lanka defeated India by 8 wickets, winning the Women's Asia Cup title for the first time. Nevertheless, the Indian team is currently in excellent form, having reached the final by winning four consecutive matches. India finished first in the group stage, winning all three matches, and defeated Bangladesh in the semi-final by 40 runs. Team Harmanpreet Kaur aims to win the eighth Women's Asia Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka. For her part, Sri Lanka intends to defend its title.

Tension resurfaced before the match between India and Pakistan at the stadium in Dubai. During the draw, the captains of India, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Pakistan, Fatima Sana, declined to shake hands.

Although exchanging handshakes after the draw is common practice in cricket, this tradition was not observed in this match. The distance between the two captains was evident during their meeting at the International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

This is not the first instance of such behavior; the Indian team has recently adopted a policy of refusing handshakes in matches against Pakistan. A similar scene was also observed previously when these two captains met at the T20 World Cup.

Harmanpreet Kaur made a statement regarding external factors. When asked about paying attention to events off the field during the draw, she clearly stated that the entire team is focused solely on the game, and the players' attention is not diverted by what is happening outside the field.

Regarding the match itself, Pakistan's captain, Fatima Sana, won the toss and decided to start the game with a toss. The Indian team has already secured its place in the tournament semi-finals and aims to continue its successful run in this match.

The Indian team roster includes: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratik Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Barhati Phulmali, Rich Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Dipti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandni Sharma, Shri Charni, and Kranti Gaur.

The Pakistan team roster includes: Muniba Ali (wicketkeeper), Shawal Julfikar, Gul Firoza, Aisha Jaafar, Sadf Shammas, Fatima Sana (captain), Umm-e-Hani, Ayman Fatima, Tuba Hasan, Nashra Sandhu, and Sadia Iqbal.

The atmosphere is heating up at the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, and cricket fans' attention is once again focused on the anticipated blockbuster match between India and Pakistan. The clash between the teams is scheduled for Saturday, September 5th.

The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is demonstrating impressive form, securing confident victories in the first two games and thus ensuring their place in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Pakistan started its tournament with a victory over Thailand by a margin of 35 runs.

This match promises to be extremely tense, and viewers are ready to watch it on television. The game will take place at the International Stadium in Dubai, and all preparations for this highly anticipated event are complete. The match can be watched live today at 20:00 on Sony Sports Network.

History of confrontations: India's victory in 2024

Looking at the history of meetings between these two teams, the Indian team traditionally outperforms Pakistan. Nevertheless, in 2022, Pakistan managed an unexpected success by defeating India by a margin of 13 runs. However, after this incident, the Indian squad did not allow them to recover.

The last meeting between these two teams took place during the 2024 Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. In that match, the Indian team, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, achieved a convincing victory over the Pakistani team by 7 wickets. It is worth noting that India finished the game before 35 overs were left to be played.

Course of the 2024 match: Dominance of Indian bowlers

In the previous Asia Cup match, Pakistan decided to start the game by choosing batting after winning the toss. However, this move proved unsuccessful. The entire Pakistani team was dismissed for only 108 runs against the Indian bowlers. Quick deliveries from Indian bowler Pooja Vastrakar and short spells significantly impacted the Pakistani batsmen. The remaining runs were contributed by Renuka Singh Thakur and Dipti Sharma. Among the Pakistani players, Sidra Amin managed to score the most runs—25 runs.

India's response: Attack by Shafali and Mandhana

For the Indian team, chasing the relatively small target of 109 runs proved to be an easy task. The Indian opening pair, consisting of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, demonstrated superiority over the Pakistani bowlers. Both players together scored 85 runs in the first interval, allowing the team to easily cross the winning threshold.