Women's Asia Cup 2026, IND-W vs PAK-W 9th Match, Group A Match Preview

Massive image – A take a look at of batting depth

An India versus Pakistan contest with out a component of jeopardy in it.

India have already qualified for the semi-final of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup after profitable every of their two matches. Pakistan have performed only one. No matter the consequence towards India, anticipate them to make the knockouts as a result of their final league recreation is towards Hong Kong.

The larger focus might be on each these groups’ batting. India have posted totals that proved to be past their oppositions’ attain within the two video games. However their middle-order has regarded somewhat suspect. India misplaced 8 for 46 towards Thailand after the openers had set a powerful platform. Towards Hong Kong, it was the Smriti Mandhana show all the best way, with India’s Nos. 3 to 7 tallying a mixed 34.

To be truthful, Mandhana and Shafali Verma have additionally batted in maybe the most effective part of the match. On the proof of the primary seven matches, the brand new ball comes properly onto the bat earlier than the spinners take cost. Even then, the chasm between India’s openers and the remainder tells a narrative: Mandhana has 143 runs, Shafali 92 and the subsequent finest is Pratika Rawal with 32. India would need to iron out the creases of their center order earlier than reaching the crunch stage.

Pakistan appear to be in the same boat, the place their batters fell brief towards Thailand earlier than the bowlers stepped up. However Pakistan have performed on slower surfaces of their bilateral tour of Sri Lanka in July-August. Twice they posted totals in extra of 170 with Shawaal Zulfiqar and Muneeba Ali exhibiting their capacity to alter gears. Fatima Sana had skipped that collection, which left a gap of their bowling. Zulfiqar, 21, is but to play towards India, and Pakistan would hope her powerplay exploits show to be simply the tonic.

If Pakistan can replicate a semblance of these performances towards India in Dubai on Saturday night, it might set them on the right track for under their second win over their arch-rivals within the T20 Asia Cup.

Type information

India WWLWL (final 5 accomplished matches, most up-to-date first)
Pakistan WWLLW

Within the highlight – Prema Rawat and Nashra Sandhu

Prema Rawat‘s T20I debut got here in a high-pressure match – towards South Africa on the T20 World Cup. She didn’t get a recreation in that event after that. However in two video games of the Asia Cup to this point, she has proven her mettle, even when these video games had been towards Thailand and Hong Kong. The legspinner confirmed the spunk to carry her lengths every time the batters attacked, and has been fairly economical. Her two-wicket haul, together with a maiden worldwide wicket, within the earlier outing ought to preserve her in good spirits for the match towards Pakistan. That she has saved the skilled Radha Yadav on the bench speaks concerning the staff’s confidence in her.

Nashra Sandhu‘s urge for food for a battle is hardly shocking contemplating she wished to turn into a quick bowler. The left-arm spinner has fairly preferred taking part in towards India going by her T20I report: six wickets, seven matches, economic system of 5.47 and a mean of 18 (a lot decrease than her profession common of 21.2). What’s extra, she has a very good report towards Smriti Mandhana (30 runs in 32 balls for two dismissals, who can be contemporary off her second T20I century, and Harmanpreet Kaur (26 off 34 balls for one dismissal). With situations in Dubai providing some help to slower bowlers, Sandhu is usually a handful for the Indian center order.

Staff information

Each groups have close-to-ideal combos for the situations in Dubai. So anticipate them to area the identical XIs, barring any accidents.

India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Pratika Rawal, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Bharti Fulmali, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Prema Rawat, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani, 11 Nandani Sharma

Pakistan (possible): 1 Muneeba Ali (wk), 2 Shawaal Zulfiqar, 3 Gull Feroza, 4 Ayesha Zafar, 5 Sadaf Shamas, 6 Fatima Sana (capt), 7 Umm-e-Hani, 8 Eyman Fatima, 9 Tuba Hassan, 10 Nashra Sandhu, 11 Sadia Iqbal

Pitch and situations

Groups profitable the toss at this Asia Cup opted to chase in six of the primary seven matches, with solely Sri Lanka profitable after limiting UAE to 78. The final sample has been of groups batting first racing away to a powerful begin, after which slowing down in direction of the end. Solely India have posted totals in extra of 150 on this event. Spinners have had extra success (71 wickets, economic system 5.1) than quicks (31 wickets, economic system 6.18). Thus, the captain profitable the toss may need a difficult option to make on Saturday.

Evenings in Dubai have been fairly sizzling and humid with Mandhana calling it a “steam field”. Saturday night is anticipated to be related with a excessive of 37 levels round begin time with the temperature anticipated to fall solely marginally thereafter.

Stats and trivia

This match might be Harmanpreet Kaur’s 150th T20I as captain. No different man or lady has led in as many T20Is.
Smriti Mandhana is 78 away from surpassing Suzie Bates (4758) for many T20I runs.
Muneeba Ali is 2 matches shy of turning into the sixth Pakistan lady to play 100 T20Is. She can be 31 runs away from scoring essentially the most T20I runs for Pakistan in a calendar 12 months.
India have misplaced solely as soon as to Pakistan on the T20 Asia Cup in seven conferences – in Sylhet in 2022.

Quotes

“Charani is an excellent expertise. She is ranked No. 1 as properly. Within the final one 12 months, she has carried out properly. The way in which she will get the ball to show is unbelievable. It’s not straightforward for any batter to play that.”
India allrounder Deepti Sharma heaps reward on N Shree Charani

“Fielding is a facet on which now we have been focusing deeply. Our mentor [Wahab Riaz] has additionally advised us that there must be no compromise on our fielding requirements. [Good] fielding can win you matches and hopefully we would not drop any catches and area properly within the match.”
Pakistan batter Ayesha Zafar

S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at Cricinfo. @Sudarshanan7

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