Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and opted to bat first against India in their high-voltage Women’s Asia Cup 2026 clash in Dubai on Saturday (Sep 5). The no-handshake saga continued as India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana once again refrained from shaking hands during the toss. India head into the contest after winning their opening two matches and securing their place in the knockouts, while Pakistan began their campaign with a victory over Thailand. Watch the viral video of the toss moment and check all the details here.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first in Asia Cup. No handshake between captains. #INDvsPAKpic.twitter.com/HPZXfdLCmH
— Rosesh (@roseshpoet) September 5, 2026
India vs Pakistan Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Toss
- Toss: Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first
- Match: India Women vs Pakistan Women, Women’s Asia Cup 2026
- Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Harmanpreet Kaur, Fatima Sana Avoid Handshake At Toss
The no-handshake saga continued during the India vs Pakistan Women’s Asia Cup 2026 clash as Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana did not shake hands at the toss. The moment quickly went viral on social media, with the two captains proceeding with the toss without the customary handshake.
India have enjoyed a dominant record against Pakistan in T20Is, winning nine of their last 10 meetings. Their only defeat during this period came against Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup. Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. entered Saturday’s clash in strong form after winning their opening two matches and securing qualification for the knockout stage.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s Reaction After Toss
After losing the toss, Harmanpreet Kaur said that India were happy to get the opportunity to bowl first. The India captain added that her team would look to restrict Pakistan to a modest total before chasing the target.
Pakistan Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Campaign
Pakistan began their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 campaign with a win over Thailand and will have another opportunity to strengthen their position in the tournament when they face Hong Kong in their remaining group-stage match. Regardless of the result against India, Pakistan still have that fixture to come.
India Women Playing XI
India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (w), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud.
Pakistan Women Playing XI
Pakistan Women: Muneeba Ali (w), Shawaal Zulfiqar, Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Sadaf Shamas, Fatima Sana (c), Umm-e-Hani, Eyman Fatima, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
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.
