In the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup tournament match between India Women and Pakistan Women, India Women won the toss and elected to bat first. An exceptional five-wicket haul by Deepti Sharma (5/10) dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, triggering a catastrophic collapse from 75/3 to 106 all out. Supported by N. Charani’s three wickets, India successfully defended their total of 170/6 to secure a dominant 64-run victory.
The Indian Women’s innings was anchored by an impressive performance from opener Smriti Mandhana, who smashed 68 runs off just 44 balls, including 9 fours and 2 sixes, before being caught by Fatima Sana off Rameen Shamim. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur contributed a steady 36 runs from 35 balls, while wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh provided an explosive finish, blasting 34 runs off a mere 17 deliveries with 5 fours and a six.
On the other hand, opener Shafali Verma was dismissed early for 6 runs off 5 balls by Sadia Iqbal, who also claimed the wicket of Bharti Fulmali for 1 run. Jemimah Rodrigues struggled to get going, departing for 1 run off 7 balls to Tasmia Rubab. Pakistan’s Fatima Sana proved effective with the ball, picking up the crucial wickets of both Kaur and Ghosh. The innings concluded with Deepti Sharma who scored 12 runs off 9 balls and Shreyanka Patil who scored 1 run off 1 ball remaining not out, aided by 11 extras to set up a target of 171.
Pakistan’s bowlers had a mixed outing as India Women posted 170/6. Sadia Iqbal and Fatima Sana were the primary wicket-takers, both picking up 2 wickets apiece from their full quota of 4 overs, however, Iqbal was on the expensive side, conceding 41 runs compared to Sana’s more controlled 33 runs. Tasmia Rubab also finished with figures of 1/41 from her 4 overs. Meanwhile, Rameen Shamim kept things relatively tight, claiming 1 wicket while conceding 30 runs. The most economical bowler of the innings was Nashra Sandhu, who went wicketless but conceded just 25 runs from her 4 overs. None of the five bowlers managed to bowl a maiden over during the innings.
Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled, bowled out for just 106 runs in 17 overs. Wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali fought a lonely battle at the top, top-scoring for Pakistan with a 35-ball 41 before being run out by Deepti Sharma. Contributions from Gull Feroza who scored 12 off 9 and A. Zafar who scored 12 off 8 provided brief aggression, but Deepti Sharma quickly dismantled the upper-middle order by dismissing both. N Sree Charani also kept the pressure high, striking twice to remove Sabina Jabeen for 2 and Natalia Pervaiz for 7, both caught by captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
The collapse then deepened into the lower order. Captain Fatima Sana was dismissed for a 3-ball duck by Shafali Verma, while Aliya Riaz managed a brief 18 off 17 before becoming another victim of Deepti Sharma. N Sree Charani picked up her third wicket by dismissing Rameen Shamim for 4, while Deepti Sharma continued her masterclass to clean up Nashra Sandhu for 4 and Tasmia Rubab for a duck. Sadia Iqbal remained unbeaten on 1 run as Pakistan’s innings concluded at 106.
It was a masterclass in defensive choking and clinical execution as the India Women’s team defended their total of 170/6 to crush Pakistan for 106 in 17 overs. The headline of the evening belongs entirely to Deepti Sharma, who put on an absolute bowling clinic. Across her maximum quota of 4.0 overs, she strangled the opposition batters, conceding a microscopic 10 runs while tearing through the lineup to claim a staggering 5-wicket haul, finishing with an unbelievable economy rate of just 2.50. She wasn’t hunting alone, either; N Sree Charani provided lethal support from the other end, picking up 3 wickets for 21 runs across her 4.0 overs to completely break the back of Pakistan’s chase.
They were still showing signs of life at 75/3 before the wheels completely fell off in the 11th over. Once Muneeba Ali departed, it triggered a catastrophic, slide-of-wickets collapse. Pakistan lost their remaining 7 wickets for a mere 31 runs. Fatima Sana (77/5) and Natalia Pervaiz (79/6) fell in quick succession, and despite a brief delay, the final tail dropped like dominoes—crumbling from 105/7 to 106 all out in the space of just four deliveries. Shafali Verma chipped in with 1/22 to help put the final touches on a flawless defensive bowling display. Supported by wonderful fielding by Deepti, Smriti and Jemimah.
India choked Pakistan with an elite bowling performance led by Deepti Sharma’s 5-wicket haul and clinical fielding, while Pakistan’s top-order failed to build on partnerships, triggering a catastrophic batting collapse where they lost their final 7 wickets for just 31 runs.
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