Pakistan Chooses to Bat First in Women's Asia Cup 2026 Match Against India

Pakistan Decides to Bat; Ongoing No-Handshake Incident

In a Women's Asia Cup 2026 match held in Dubai on Saturday, Pakistan's captain Fatima Sana won the toss and chose to bat first against India. The ongoing no-handshake incident continued as both captains, Harmanpreet Kaur of India and Fatima Sana of Pakistan, once again did not shake hands during the toss.

Current Team Performance and Tournament Position

The Indian women's team has triumphed in nine out of their last ten T20 matches against Pakistan, with their sole loss occurring during the 2022 Asia Cup. Entering this match, Harmanpreet Kaur's squad is in a favorable position, having won their first two matches and secured a spot in the knockout stage. Conversely, Pakistan started their campaign with a victory over Thailand and has another match against Hong Kong ahead, regardless of today's outcome.

Captains' Insights

"We opted to bat first to set a high total," Sana explained. "The last game influenced this decision as we believe in our strong bowling lineup, and we aim to restrict the opposition. We had a constructive discussion about our batting issues and plan to adapt to the pitch conditions."

Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her satisfaction with the chance to bowl first, stating, "Our bowling has been impressive in this tournament, and we will aim to limit the opponent's score. Chasing requires patience, and we performed well in our previous matches. Leading for the 150th time in T20Is is a significant milestone, but enjoying the game remains essential. We will strive to keep the opponent's score low to ease the pressure while chasing."

Playing Lineups

India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud.

Pakistan Women (Playing XI): Muneeba Ali(w), Shawaal Zulfiqar, Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Sadaf Shamas, Fatima Sana(c), Umm-e-Hani, Eyman Fatima, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.