Iranian Women's Kabaddi Team Defeats Bangladesh in Nagoya

The Iranian men's kabaddi team started strongly at the Asian Games in Nagoya, defeating Nepal with a score of 76–23 in their first match.

Iran demonstrated dominant play, securing a convincing victory and beginning its campaign at a high level. The Iranian national team is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, and Thailand.

During the group stage, Iran will play its second match against Malaysia on Wednesday, aiming to maintain its current winning momentum.

Kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games will take place from September 21 to 26 at the Tōkai Citizens Gymnasium. This marks the ninth consecutive participation of this sport in the Games, starting from the 1990 edition. India is the reigning champion in both disciplines.

In the Women's Asia Cup, Pakistan defeated Hong Kong, securing their place in the tournament semi-finals. The left-arm spinner from Pakistan, Nashra Sandhu, played a key role in this match.

Sandhu demonstrated an outstanding performance that became a memorable episode in her career and contributed significantly to the team's victory. Her powerful play garnered admiration from fans, not only for her bowling but also for the shoes she wore on the field.

On the field, Nashra was seen wearing sneakers from the brand One-8, which is associated with Indian star Virat Kohli. These high-performance cricket boots from the Indian team's brand One-8 are branded by Virat Kohli.

It is worth noting that the Virat Kohli brand is popular not only among men's cricket; Indian star Smriti Mandhana is also an ambassador for One-8 and frequently appears in matches wearing the brand's gear.

For Nashra Sandhu, this match was truly special. Within her four-over limit against Hong Kong, she conceded only 7 runs while taking six wickets. This marked her best performance in T20 International friendly matches. Thanks to this impressive spell, the Pakistani women's team achieved a convincing victory over Hong Kong with a score of 72 runs and advanced confidently to the tournament semi-finals.

Thanks to this victory, the Pakistani women's cricket team has reached the semi-finals of the Asia Cup 2026. Pakistan batted first, scoring 143 runs in 20 overs, with Shawal Julfikar scoring 47 runs. In response, the Hong Kong team managed to score only 71 runs in 19 overs. Sandhu took 6 wickets, becoming the first Pakistani player to take 6 wickets in a single match in Women's T20I. Pakistan's next semi-final match will be against Sri Lanka on September 11.