India Faces Pakistan In Women's Asia Cup 2024: A Comprehensive Preview

The Women's Asia Cup is set for an exciting start as defending champions India face off against arch-rivals Pakistan in a prime-time clash on Friday (July 17).

India's record in the Women's Asia Cup T20 is impressive with 17 wins in 20 matches. They clinched the title by beating Bangladesh in the final of the last edition in 2022. India's performance against Pakistan has also been stellar, with 11 wins out of 14 matches. Kaur's team will rely on this strong record and their recent form to secure a win in the Group A clash.

Date: Friday (July 18)

Time: 7 pm IST

Venue: Dambulla International Stadium

India's Strong Form and Key Players

Smriti Mandhana's excellent batting form will be crucial for India at the top of the order. The team's recent outings have shown significant improvement in their bowling, with both pacers and spinners delivering strong performances. Pooja Vastrakar's eight wickets across three matches against South Africa highlight her form, while Radha Yadav's successful return to the spin attack has been encouraging.

The spin department also includes Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana, and Shreyanka Patil, who have all contributed effectively. India's balanced attack will be a key factor as they aim to dominate their opponents.

Pakistan's Squad Changes and Challenges

Pakistan, led by Nida Dar, have made several changes to their squad since their disappointing tour of England where they lost 3-0. Three players who haven't played any matches this year- Iram Javed, Omaima Sohail, and Syeda Aroob Shah-have been included along with uncapped Tasmia Rubab. Six players were dropped from the squad.

The lack of recent game-time could be a concern for Pakistan as their last outing was in May. They will need to overcome this challenge to perform well against a strong Indian side.

Inda and Pakistan Squads for Women's Asia Cup

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan Sajana.

Pakistan: Nida Dar (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan.

India vs Pakistan Women's Asia Cup: Where to Watch IND-W vs PAK-W Match?

The India Women vs Pakistan Women match in the Asia Cup 2024 will be telecast on the Star Sports Network from 7 pm IST on Friday. The Indian subscribers are also very friendly and cordial as they can also enjoy live streaming on Disney + Hotstar app and website.

The eight competing teams aim to finalise their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup in October. Harmanpreet Kaur's India are the favourites having won the competition three out of four times in the T20 format and all four times in the 50-overs format.