India, having already secured a semi-final spot, face Pakistan in Dubai on Friday at the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
India’s wins over Thailand and Hong Kong sealed qualification, while Pakistan need to beat India to stay in contention for the last four.
The rivalry heavily favours India, who have won 14 of 17 T20I meetings against Pakistan, including a 6-1 record in T20 Asia Cup matches.
Smriti Mandhana arrives in strong form, having struck 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong in the previous fixture.
The pitch at Dubai International Cricket Stadium is expected to slow down as the match wears on, favouring spin bowling.
The match is being played as the 9th fixture of Group A at the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, with the winner strengthening their position ahead of the knockout stage.
India have already sealed a semi-final berth after two wins from two games, having beaten Thailand and Hong Kong in their opening fixtures.
Pakistan need victory in this match to keep their own last-four hopes alive, after opening the tournament with a dominant win over Thailand.
India hold a commanding head-to-head record in the rivalry, having won 14 of 17 T20I meetings against Pakistan, including a 6-1 record in T20 Asia Cup fixtures specifically.
The sides last met at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, where India won by 64 runs.
Smriti Mandhana arrives in outstanding form, having scored 124 off 64 balls against Hong Kong in India’s previous group match.
Spinner Deepti Sharma took three for nine against Hong Kong and has previously claimed figures of 5-10 against Pakistan at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu has a strong record against India specifically, with six wickets in seven matches against them at an economy of 5.47.
The pitch at Dubai International Cricket Stadium is expected to play slowly, favouring spin bowling and rewarding batters who are patient in the early overs.
Photo of Smriti Mandhana, Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
