Indian spinners delivered a dominant display against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing Asia Cup 2026. After opting to bat first, the Fatima Sana-led side struggled for momentum and looked particularly vulnerable against India’s spin attack, as they were bowled out for just 55 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The collapse saw Pakistan record their lowest-ever total in T20I cricket.
Pakistan's lowest-scores in T20Is:
| Opponent | Score | Year |
| vs India | 55 | 2026 |
| vs New Zealand | 56 | 2024 |
| vs England | 60 | 2009 |
| vs India | 63 | 2012 |
| vs Bangaldesh | 64/9 | 2023 |
For India, N Shree Charani and Prema Rawat were highly effective, claiming three wickets each. Pakistan should have foucsed to rotate strikes in the middle overs, but in most of the cases, they attempted lofted shots, which resulted in losing wickets at a rapid pace. Openers Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar survived the first four overs against the pacers, but once the spinners came into the mix, Pakistan lost wickets like a house of cards.
Nine of their players scored in single digits and that sums up the night for the team. Shafali, who was introduced in the fifth over of the game, gave the first breakthrough and since then, Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. Apart from Charani and Prema, Deepti Sharma was extremely effective too, claiming two wickets for only five runs in 3.1 overs.
Shafali Verma completes 3000 runs
When it came to the chase, Shafali Verma smacked a six on the very first ball. That proved India’s intent, as they would look to finish things off in the powerplay itself. Meanwhile, with the six, Shafali became the third Indian cricketer after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to complete 3000 runs in the shortest format of the game. She also became the youngest cricketer to complete 3000 runs in women's T20Is.
Meanwhile, as the heavy defeat looms for Pakistan, they are now in a complicated situation. If Hong Kong, China pull off a historic win over the side, the Women in Green could be out of the semi-final race as Thailand might finish with a better Net Run Rate.
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