Pakistan women's cricket team captain Fatima Sana expressed deep disappointment over her side's batting and fielding performance following a 64-run defeat against India in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday.
India's Dominant All-Round Display
India produced a commanding all-round performance to secure a comprehensive victory. Batting first, India recovered from an early collapse thanks to a brilliant 68 off 44 balls from Smriti Mandhana, who was dropped twice during her innings. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 36, while Richa Ghosh added a quickfire 34 to propel India to 170 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Pakistan's Bowling Fightback Fades
Pakistan's bowlers fought back briefly with early wickets but lost control in the middle overs, allowing India to post a challenging total. In response, Pakistan's batting lineup crumbled under pressure, bowled out for just 106 in 17 overs. Deepti Sharma was the star for India, claiming a sensational 5 for 10 to dismantle the chase. India's spinners dominated, taking nine wickets collectively.
Sana's Post-Match Reflections
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sana said: "I think it's really disappointing (on the batting side). We need to step up in the next matches because we still have a long way to go in the World Cup." She acknowledged that Pakistan were in control for much of the first innings but let things slip in the final overs by conceding extra runs. "We were good until the last 15 overs. After that, we gave away some extra runs. We'll try to improve on those things in the next matches," she added.
Fielding Lapses Prove Costly
Sana also lamented the team's poor fielding, highlighting that dropped catches proved costly. Notably, Mandhana was dropped twice — first by Aliya Riaz when she was on 27 and then by Saira Jabeen when she was on 55. "Obviously, catches win matches. Unfortunately, we dropped catches. I think we need to improve both our bowling and fielding in the next match, as mistakes in the field can cost the match," Sana said.
Pakistan will look to regroup and address these issues as they continue their campaign in the tournament. The team remains hopeful of bouncing back in the upcoming matches.
