Harmanpreet Kaur Leads India to Gritty Six-Wicket Win Over Pakistan in Dubai
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur played a vital knock of 29 runs, guiding her team to a hard-fought six-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 106 after restricting Pakistan to 105-8 in their 20 overs, India appeared to be cruising at 61-1. However, a sudden twist came when Pakistan captain Fatima Sana claimed two wickets in two balls, momentarily threatening India’s dominance. Kaur’s calm approach under pressure ensured India stayed on track as she anchored the innings.
Just as India was two runs away from victory, Kaur slipped and appeared to injure her neck, forcing her to leave the field unbeaten on 29 from 24 balls. Sajeevan Sajana stepped up and secured the winning runs on the next delivery, with India finishing at 108-4 with seven balls to spare.
“We followed our plans and maintained discipline throughout,” said India’s Smriti Mandhana. “Our fielding was strong, but a better start with the bat would have made things easier. We’re happy with the win.”
For Pakistan, Nida Dar top-scored with 28 from 34 balls, but overall, their batting faltered on a pitch that offered awkward bounce. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Fatima Sana acknowledged that the team was 10-15 runs short of a competitive total.
India’s bowling attack was well-rounded, with Arundhati Reddy shining brightest. Reddy dismissed Omaima Sohail (3), Aliya Riaz (4), and clean-bowled Nida Dar in the final over to finish with impressive figures of 3-19 from her four overs, earning her Player of the Match honors. “I’ve worked hard on my T20 bowling across all phases of the innings, and today I focused on keeping things simple and attacking the stumps,” Reddy said.
India’s batting faced some early hiccups, losing Mandhana for seven, but Shafali Verma (32) and Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the ship, taking the team to 61 before Verma was dismissed in the 12th over. Despite Pakistan’s brief comeback, Kaur’s experience ensured India maintained their impressive record against Pakistan, making it 13 wins from 16 encounters in T20Is.
This win was crucial for India after their opening loss to New Zealand, placing them fourth in Group A, just behind Pakistan on net run rate. India will next face Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Dubai, while Pakistan is set to meet favorites Australia on Friday.
West Indies will take on Scotland in the late game on Sunday in Dubai, with both teams seeking their first win after losing their opening Group B matches.
