India’s spin attack produced a stunning display in Dubai on Saturday night, bowling Pakistan Women out for just 55 in 18.1 overs in their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A clash.
The visitors now need only 56 runs to complete a comprehensive victory and tighten their grip on a semi-final spot.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, but the decision backfired immediately. Shafali Verma struck early, bowling opener Muneeba Ali for 13. From there the collapse gathered pace. Young left-arm spinner Shree Charani ripped through the middle order, claiming three wickets for just seven runs. Fellow spinner Prema Rawat matched her with three wickets of her own, finishing with figures of 3 for 9.
Deepti Sharma added two more wickets, including a sharp stumping by Richa Ghosh to end the innings. Pakistan’s highest score was Shawaal Zulfiqar’s 14. The total of 55 is Pakistan Women’s lowest ever in T20 Internationals.
The pitch offered sharp turn and the Indian spinners exploited it ruthlessly. Charani, the 22-year-old from Andhra Pradesh who has risen rapidly since her 2025 debut, and Rawat, the Uttarakhand leg-spinner who made her international breakthrough earlier this year, shared six wickets between them. Their control and variations left Pakistan’s batters with no answers.
India, already sitting pretty in Group A after big wins over Thailand and Hong Kong China, now face a straightforward chase. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will look to finish the job quickly and keep their net run-rate healthy.
The result, if completed as expected, will extend India’s recent dominance over their neighbours in the shortest format and send a strong message ahead of the knockout stages.
