Very Happy: Harmanpreet Kaur Praises India’s Ruthless Win Over Pakistan

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was delighted with her team’s ruthless seven wicket victory over Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup on Saturday, September 5, as India finished the Group A stage unbeaten and on top of the table.

India produced a dominant bowling display at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, dismissing Pakistan for just 55 in 18.1 overs, their lowest ever total in women’s T20Is. Shree Charani and Prema Rawat claimed three wickets each, while Deepti Sharma took two as Pakistan collapsed after making 27 for one. Charani’s figures of 3/7 earned her the Player of the Match award.

India chased the 56 run target in just 8.4 overs, reaching 57/3 with 68 balls to spare. Pakistan captain Fatima Sana briefly threatened a comeback by taking all three Indian wickets, finishing with 3/17. However, Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma steadied the chase before Harmanpreet ended the match with a six, remaining unbeaten on 18.

“It was a very important game for us. We talk about being ruthless, so very happy,” Harmanpreet said after the match. She praised India’s bowlers for sticking to their plans, reading the pitch well and executing under pressure.

The victory came despite India having already secured a semi-final place. Harmanpreet stressed the importance of maintaining high standards, while acknowledging that Pakistan’s bowling attack remained capable of creating problems.

The match was also historic for Harmanpreet, who became the first captain, male or female, to lead a national side in 150 T20 internationals. She marked the landmark by hitting the winning runs.

Shafali Verma also reached a major milestone, crossing 3,000 T20I runs when she hit the first ball of India’s chase for six.

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana defended her decision to bat first, saying her team wanted to set a target on a fresh wicket because of the strength of its bowling attack.

India had already beaten Thailand and Hong Kong and will now advance directly to the semi-finals, which begin on September 10. Pakistan, meanwhile, face Hong Kong on September 7 in a crucial match for their qualification hopes.