Indian Women's Table Tennis Team Defeats Pakistan 3-0 and Advances to Asian Games Quarterfinals

Although the Pakistan team lost to England in a series of three Test matches with a score of 0-3, there is still an atmosphere of celebration among fans. The Pakistani athletes appeared helpless throughout the entire series against England.

However, something happened during the second half of the third Test that instantly made 21-year-old Rajulla famous. Debuting in the match at Edgbaston, Rajulla made a sensation from the very beginning, astonishing experienced players.

When the team arrived at Islamabad airport, sadness over the defeat was visible on the faces of all team members, but fans welcomed Rajulla with great respect, surrounding him with applause and cheers like a true hero.

Rajulla's story resembles a movie script. He hails from the remote village of Bari in Pakistan, where they lived in difficult conditions. They lacked the funds even to pay for training at a cricket academy. In such circumstances, his older brother, who worked as a truck driver, sacrificed his earnings for Rajulla's dreams.

When Rajulla first received his Pakistan Test kit at Edgbaston, he immediately left his mark. On only the fourth ball of his Test career, he dismissed the outstanding English batsman Joe Root. In the first half of the match, he scored 4 runs thanks to his intimidating pace.

In the second half of the match, when the Pakistan team was on the verge of defeat, Rajulla came onto the field as number nine batsman. What happened next was unexpected. He played a brilliant match, scoring 81 runs off just 63 balls. This innings included 9 sixes and 4 fours. He reached a half-century in just 43 balls, which is the fastest half-century in a debut Test for Pakistan. Along with Mohammad Abbas (42 runs), he built a record partnership of 121 runs for the ninth wicket, saving the team from defeat in the innings.

Rajulla's fearless style and pace prompted applause from the English spectators. After the match, the entire stadium at Edgbaston stood up to pay tribute to this young player. Nevertheless, the Pakistan team lost this match by 8 wickets and completely lost the series 0-3.

The Indian team continues to demonstrate impressive play at the 2026 Women's U-17 Asian Championship. In the quarter-final held in Moji, China, on Thursday (September 10), the Indian squad secured a convincing victory over their long-time rival Pakistan with a score of 19-0.

Pooja Malik scored the most goals in the match with three goals (in the 27th, 49th, and 51st minutes). Other players also contributed: Chandrakant Sanika Mane scored twice (in the 13th and 23rd minutes), Madhu Sidar (in the 16th and 39th minutes), Supriya (in the 40th and 54th minutes), and End Roshni (in the 9th and 60th minutes).

Additionally, Pooja Sahu (in the 7th minute), Dinesh Tunshri Kadu (in the 11th minute), Sukhvir Kaur (in the 13th minute), Gita Yadav (in the 18th minute), Tanuja Toppo (in the 25th minute), Purnima Yadav (in the 33rd minute), Krishna Sharma (in the 48th minute), and Bimina Dhan (in the 55th minute) each scored one goal.

In the semi-finals, India will face the winner of the fourth quarter-final between Malaysia and Korea. These semi-final matches are scheduled for September 12.

During this match, India's dominance was absolute, while the Pakistani athletes were unable to offer any resistance. In the first two quarters, India scored 10 goals, allowing them to go into halftime with a 10-0 lead. In the third quarter, Pakistan managed to ease the pressure slightly, but India only scored three goals. The final quarter was even more prolific for India, as the team netted six goals. Of these seven goals scored from penalties, seven were converted from corners, and two from free kicks. India scored the remaining 11 goals through open play.

India and China finished the elite pool stage with an equal number of points—10 points. However, due to a better goal difference, India ranked first in the elite pool. The Indian team won against Japan, Korea, and Malaysia, while the match against China ended in a draw. As for the Pakistan team, they earned seven points after playing four matches in the challenger pool, finishing in third place. In the challenger pool, Bangladesh took first place, and Kazakhstan took second.

This tournament is the tenth edition of the Women's U-17 Asian Championship. The Indian squad is the reigning champion. In 2024, at the competition held in Muscat, India won the title for the second consecutive time, defeating China. South Korea is the most successful team in this tournament, having won it four times (in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2008). China has also achieved success, winning the title three times (in 2004, 2012, and 2015).

During the Women's Asian Cup, an important match took place between India and Pakistan on September 5th. The Indian team achieved a convincing victory, easily winning the encounter by a margin of seven wickets, as Pakistan was eliminated from the game with a score of 55.

During the tournament, a video of a Pakistani fan went viral on social media. In this video, the fan expresses his dissatisfaction to his team's coach, Wajhab Riaz, stating that they do not need the trophy, but only a victory over India.

The dominant performance of the Indian women's team in the group stage match caused anger among Pakistani fans, which is now clearly visible on social media. The statement by this Pakistani fan indicates that for Pakistan, beating India is valued more than the trophy itself.

Wajhab Riaz remains confident despite such a crushing defeat. He believes that his team is still the best in the tournament and capable of returning to the game. After losing to India, Wajhab Riaz asserted that he still considers his team a serious contender for the tournament victory.

Currently, all attention is focused on whether Pakistan can pass through the semi-finals and reach the final. If both teams meet in the final, this match promises to be extremely exciting for cricket fans.

Pakistan became the third team to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. In its last group stage match, Pakistan defeated Hong Kong with a score of 72 runs. Now the Pakistani team has to play against Sri Lanka in the semi-finals, and reaching the final by defeating Sri Lanka will not be easy.