Indian women secure cautious 6-wicket victory over Pakistan at T20 World Cup

In a gripping encounter at the Dubai International Stadium, India secured their first points in the Women’s T20 World Cup with a calculated six-wicket win over archrivals Pakistan on Sunday.

Pakistan, hampered by the impressive bowling of fast bowler Arundhati Reddy and off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, could only manage a total of 105-8. Veteran batter Nida Dar stood out for Pakistan, scoring 28 runs off 34 balls on a challenging pitch.

India, looking to bounce back from a heavy 58-run defeat against New Zealand in their opening group A match, chased down the target in 18.5 overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur played a pivotal role, scoring a composed 29 off 24 balls before retiring hurt towards the end. Kaur, needing just two runs for victory, narrowly avoided a stumping by wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali before exiting the field with a neck injury. Sajeevan Sajana then sealed the win with a boundary.

Despite the victory, India remains fourth in the group standings with a net run-rate of -1.217, trailing behind Pakistan, whose net run-rate stands at 0.555 after their win against Sri Lanka. New Zealand and Australia occupy the top two spots in the group.

India's bowlers had earlier reduced Pakistan to 71-7 by the 15th over. Asha Sobhana dropped two easy catches, but Muneeba Ali and captain Fatima Sana could not capitalize. Muneeba's struggling 26-ball knock ended with a stumping off a wide delivery from Patil. Sana managed to hit two boundaries before being caught out by a stunning one-handed catch from wicketkeeper Richa Gosh, redeeming Sobhana's earlier lapses. Dar, partnering with Syeda Aroob Shah (14 runs), added 28 runs before Reddy bowled Dar in the final over.

In their chase, India’s batters approached Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack with caution. Shafali Verma top-scored with 32 off 35 balls, successfully overturning an early leg before wicket decision via television referral. The top order managed only five boundaries throughout the innings. Late wickets from Sana, dismissing Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Gosh, added some tension, but Deepti Sharma’s lbw decision was overturned on review, ensuring India's victory.

In another match of the day, Scotland won the toss and chose to bat against West Indies in a group B game, with both teams seeking their first win of the tournament after initial losses.