The Women’s Asia Cup is set to begin with a blockbuster showdown between defending champion India and their arch-rivals Pakistan on Friday. The tournament will serve as a crucial platform for all eight participating teams to fine-tune their combinations before the T20 World Cup in October.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s Indian team enters the competition as the team to beat, having secured the Asia Cup title three out of four times in the T20 format and all four times in the 50-over version. Additionally, India boasts an impressive record in the Women’s Asia Cup T20, having won 17 out of 20 matches. They clinched the title in the previous edition in 2022 after defeating Bangladesh in the final.
India’s dominance extends to their head-to-head record against Pakistan in the shortest format, where they have secured 11 victories against just three defeats in 14 encounters. Kaur’s team will be confident in their ability to secure a win in this Group A clash, especially considering their recent strong form.
While India is coming off a 1-1 draw against South Africa earlier this month (with the second of the three T20Is being washed out), Pakistan’s last outing was in England in May, where they were blanked 3-0 by the host nation. This lack of recent competitive game time could pose a challenge for Pakistan’s confidence.
Smriti Mandhana’s exceptional form with the bat will be a key asset for India, providing a strong foundation at the top of the order. However, the team’s biggest strength in recent all-format outings has been their bowling unit, with both pacers and spinners performing exceptionally well. Pooja Vastrakar’s impressive eight wickets in three matches against South Africa highlight her current form, while Radha Yadav’s successful return to the spin bowling attack has been a positive development. The spin attack also includes experienced players like Deepti Sharma and Sajeevan Sajana, as well as the promising young talent Shreyanka Patil.
Pakistan, under the leadership of Nida Dar, has undergone a significant squad revamp since their disappointing performance in England. Three players, Iram Javed, Omaima Sohail, and Syeda Aroob Shah, who have not featured in any matches this year, have been included in the squad alongside uncapped Tasmia Rubab. Meanwhile, six other players have been omitted from the team. This significant overhaul highlights Pakistan’s determination to improve their performance in the tournament.
The opening clash between India and Pakistan is anticipated to be a high-stakes encounter, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting and competitive Women’s Asia Cup.
