IND vs PAK, Women’s Asia Cup 2026: Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has faced criticism for her sendoff to Shafali Verma during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 clash against India in Dubai on Saturday (Sep 5). Fatima dismissed Shafali for 12 off six balls before gesturing towards the India opener as she walked back to the pavilion. The incident came shortly after Shafali created history by becoming the youngest and fastest batter to score 3,000 runs in Women’s T20Is.
Fatima Sana’s Sendoff To Shafali Verma
Fatima Sana dismissed Shafali Verma for 12 off six deliveries and appeared to gesture towards the India batter as she returned to the pavilion. The sendoff attracted criticism, particularly after Shafali had reached the milestone of 3,000 runs in Women’s T20Is earlier in her innings.
Shafali reached the landmark at the age of 22 years and 220 days, becoming the youngest player to achieve the feat. She also became the fastest batter to reach 3,000 runs in the format, completing the milestone with a single after beginning her innings with a six against left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal.
Commentator Criticises Fatima Sana
Commentator Vivek Razdan questioned Fatima Sana’s reaction after the Pakistan captain gestured towards Shafali following her dismissal. His criticism came in the context of Pakistan’s batting collapse, with the team eventually being bowled out for just 55, their lowest-ever total in Women’s T20Is.
Pakistan Collapse Against India
Pakistan made a promising start after reaching 27 without loss, but their innings quickly fell apart against India’s spin attack. Shree Charani and Prema Rawat picked up three wickets each, while Deepti Sharma claimed two wickets as Pakistan lost their final 10 wickets for just 28 runs.
India then completed the chase comfortably despite losing three wickets. Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma remained unbeaten to take India to 57 for three in 8.4 overs, sealing a seven-wicket victory with 68 balls to spare. Harmanpreet scored an unbeaten 18, while Deepti finished with 12 not out.
India Unbeaten, Pakistan Face Qualification Battle
India had already secured their place in the semi-finals before the Pakistan clash and finished the group stage unbeaten. Pakistan, meanwhile, are still waiting to confirm their place in the last four and will face Hong Kong in their final group-stage match.
Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.
