Dubai: India secured a vital six-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a crucial rebound after their initial loss to New Zealand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. With disciplined bowling and measured batting, India maintained their prospects for a semi-final berth in the tournament.
According to International Cricket Council, India’s bowling attack, led by Arundhati Reddy who claimed three wickets for 19 runs, was instrumental in restricting Pakistan to 105 for eight. Pakistan, opting to bat first after winning the toss, struggled to build momentum, with only Nida Dar making a significant score of 28.
In the chase, India pursued the modest total with caution, anchored by innings from Shafali Verma (32) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (29), who had to retire hurt towards the close of the innings. Despite a slow start and the loss of early wickets, including Smriti Mandhana for seven, India built their innings around stable partnerships and strategic running between the wickets.
The Indian innings saw critical contributions throughout. After a cautious opening, Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues raised the tempo, setting the stage for the middle order. However, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana briefly ignited hopes of a Pakistani comeback with two wickets in successive deliveries, removing Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh. Nonetheless, Deepti Sharma and Kaur steadied the innings until Kaur’s untimely injury just shy of the victory.
The match concluded with Sajana Sajeevan hitting a boundary on her first delivery, bringing the game to an end with seven balls to spare. This win helps India repair their net run rate and positions them strongly for the remaining fixtures in the group stage.