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India battle for T20 World Cup survival after ‘messing up on grand scale’

Defending T20 World Cup champions India need “two big performances” to reach the semi-finals after Sunday’s huge defeat to South Africa, said their assistant coach.

India came into the T20 World Cup 2026 as hot favourites on home soil but were thrashed by 76 runs in the Super Eights as 80,000 fans at the massive Narendra Modi stadium were stunned into silence.

In their first chase of the tournament, India’s batting came up woefully short in the face of some disciplined South Africa bowling.

India collapsed to 111 all out in 18.5 overs in response to South Africa’s 187-7 as their 12-match win streak in the T20 World Cup came to a crashing end.

The magnitude of the defeat has left India with a desperate net run-rate of -3.8 and likely needing to win their last two Super Eight matches convincingly to make it to the semi-finals.

Anything less, and India will need to rely on a combination of other results going their way.

“Very disappointed in the performance,” said Ryan ten Doeschate. “When you set out to win a World Cup, don’t expect someone to come and deliver it to you halfway through”

“We’ve messed up on a grand scale, and now the onus is on this group of guys to turn it around and put in two solid performances,” the assistant coach added.

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India are grouped with South Africa, the West Indies and Zimbabwe in Super Eights, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals.

The West Indies face Zimbabwe on Monday night in Mumbai in their Super Eights opener.

India next face giant-killers Zimbabwe, who have already beaten Australia and Sri Lanka, on Thursday in Chennai.

South Africa play the West Indies the same day in Ahmedabad, where Aiden Markram’s side could put one foot firmly in the semi-finals with another win.

“Obviously, with the way the group goes, you need at least four points to get through now, and it’s going to need two big performances and a big bounce back from everyone,” said Ten Doeschate.

India’s fragile batting was exposed against an in-form bowling attack led by left-arm quick Marco Jansen, who returned figures of 4-22 from 3.5 overs. Keshav Maharaj took 3-24 with his left-arm spin.

The 2024 champions also have the weight of history against them. No team has ever retained the T20 World Cup, and no side have ever won the trophy on home soil.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan comments on potentially breaking Virat Kohli’s record

Dominant South Africa thrash India in Super Eight clash

AHMEDABAD: David Miller’s brisk half-century and a commanding bowling performance powered South Africa to a big win over the defending champions India in the second Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Set 188, India were blown away in the chase by South Africa, bowling them out for 111 in 18.5 overs.

India were off to a similar start, losing their top three batters inside four overs.

Hence, the only difference was the absence of a Miller and Brevis-like partnership, which could have carried them all the way.

As a result, India continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. The Nadir came when Corbin Bosch chipped in the wickets of skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Washington Sundar.

Yadav could manage only 18 from 2,2 while Sundar scored 11.

The slide continued, but it got a break with Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya’s partnership of 35, which provided them with a glimmer of hope.

But Keshav Maharaj’s 14th over proved to be a final nail in the coffin, as the hosts lost three wickets. Hardik (18 from 17 balls), Rinku Singh (0), and Arshdeep Singh (1) were all caught in a similar fashion on the boundary rope by Tristan Stubbs.

The innings quickly unraveled with South Africa sealing a decisive 76-run victory.

Marco Jansen remained prolific for South Africa with his four-wicket haul, while Keshav Maharaj snared three to put his name into the wickets column.

Earlier, opting to bat first under lights here at the Narendra Modi Stadium, South Africa huffed and puffed to 183-5 in their 20 overs.

The hosts were on top as they removed South Africa’s top three in the first four overs.

With the Proteas reeling at 20-3, David Miller and Dewald Brevis joined hands and took their side out of trouble.

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The pair not only launched a steady recovery with a 97-run stand, but also put South Africa in a commanding position at 117 in 12.2 overs.

Shivam Dube provided India the much-needed breakthrough, removing Dewald Brevis for 45 from 29 balls. The right-hander hit three fours and three sixes in his enterprising knock.

Meanwhile, David Miller continued on, adding another 35 runs with Tristan Stubbs.

The southpaw got out just when South Africa were eyeing a massive total. He made 63 off 35, including three sixes and seven fours.

After his wicket, South Africa lost their way, thanks to a brilliant over from Jasprit Bumrah.

But it was Tristan Stubbs’ blitz in the final over that helped the 2024 runners-up finish strong. Stubbs tonked Hardik Pandya for 20 runs to finish strong.

The right-hander remained unbeaten on 44 from 23 balls, laced with three maximums and a four.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah remained the outstanding bowler, scalping three wickets while giving away just three runs.

READ: Sehrish Ali storms into German Junior Open 2026 final

T20 World Cup: South Africa win toss against India

AHMEDABAD: South Africa have won the toss and opted to bat first against India in the Super Eight fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday.

Playing XIs

India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, and Lungi Ngidi.

Head-to-head

Both teams have met 35 times in the shorter format. India leads with 23 wins, while South Africa has 13, with one match ending in a no result.

The Men in Blue are also leading in the T20 World Cup with five wins. Meanwhile, Proteas remained successful in two matches.

Their last meeting in the tournament came in the final of the 2024 edition, which the Men in Blue won by seven runs.

Matches: 35 India: 23, South Africa: 13, No Result: 1

READ: T20 World Cup: England sink Sri Lanka in clinical bowling display

Bangladesh’s new sports minister pushes for swift resolution with India

DHAKA: Aminul Haque, the new sports minister of Bangladesh, has expressed his desire to quickly ease tensions with India following the national team’s absence from the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, stressing the importance of maintaining friendly ties with neighbouring nations.

Speaking on Tuesday after taking the oath with the new cabinet, Aminul revealed he had already opened dialogue with Indian officials.

“After taking the oath today, I met with the deputy high commissioner of India at the Parliament building. I discussed the T20 World Cup with him,” he said, describing the interaction as cordial and constructive.

“We want to resolve this issue quickly through discussions because we want to maintain friendly relations with all our neighbouring countries.”

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the ongoing global event, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, after the previous government opted against sending the team to India amid geopolitical tensions.

The situation escalated when the Indian government reportedly asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad, eventually leading to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament.

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In a positive development for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the ICC confirmed on February 9 that it would not face any penalty for refusing to play matches in India.

Additionally, the board has been granted hosting rights for an out-of-turn ICC event before the 2031 Men’s ODI World Cup, which Bangladesh will co-host with India.

Aminul reiterated his government’s broader vision of rebuilding ties.

“From sports to all other sectors, we want to build a sincere and cordial relationship with India,” he said.

“Because of diplomatic complications, we could not play in the World Cup. If those issues had been discussed and settled earlier, our team might have participated.”

Despite recent tensions, bilateral cricket remains on the calendar, with India scheduled to tour Bangladesh in September for three ODIs and three T20Is, a series originally planned for August 2025 that was postponed.

READ: Abhishek Sharma joins Saim Ayub on unwanted duck list

Agha admits poor execution after defeat to India

COLOMBO: Skipper Salman Ali Agha admitted that Pakistan’s poor execution proved costly as they slumped to a big defeat against arch-rivals India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the RPS Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan were outplayed by India in all departments, handing them 61 run defeat.

Ishan Kishan starred with the bat, scoring 77 runs from 40 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes.

In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs, extending India’s record to nine wins in T20 World Cups.

The Green Shirts have defeated India only once at a mega event in 2021.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Agha highlighted the match’s shortcomings, noting that the powerplay proved costly to the outcome.

“We went with four spinners, they had an off-day. Execution was missing in some parts. With the bat, we did not start well. If you lose 3-4 wickets in the powerplay, you are always chasing the game,” he said.

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“In the first innings, it was a bit tacky, and the ball was gripping too. The pitch played better in the second innings but we did not bowl according to the situation and we did not apply ourselves with the bat,” the captain added.

He hoped for better performance in the forthcoming game, saying they were looking forward to the Namibia clash.

“In these games, the emotions are always going to be high, we just need to deal with it. We have played enough (of these games), we have a game in a couple of days, and we have to look forward to it. We need to win that and qualify. Then it is a new tournament,” he concluded.

READ: T20 World Cup: Pakistan register unique spin record against India

Ruthless India crush Pakistan in another T20 World Cup clash

COLOMBO: Ishan Kishan’s majestic 77 and a resounding bowling performance from India bowlers overwhelmed Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, played here at the RPS Stadium on Sunday.

Set a stiff 176, Pakistan fell way short of the target and were skittled for 114 in 18 overs.

Pakistan were off to a horror start as they lost 13-3 in the first two overs.

Hardik Pandya started the proceedings with Sahibzada Farhan’s (0) wicket before ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah sent back Saim Ayub (6) and Salman Ali Agha (4) in one over.

After an early blow, Usman Khan and Babar Azam tried to arrest the slide with a brief 21-run partnership.

However, the Green Shirts’ woes compounded when Babar Azam, trying to play slog sweep, was cleaned bowled by Axar Patel.

His poor run in the T20Is continued as he managed only five.

Despite the wickets tumbling around him, Usman counterattacked in a bid to take control of the required run rate.

His resistance ended when Pakistan were 73 in 10.4 overs. He remained the top-scorer with 44 from 34 balls, laced with six fours and a six.

Following his dismissal, Pakistan’s innings quickly unraveled with none of the batters showing grit in front of a disciplined Indian bowling attack.

For India, it was an all-round bowling performance with each of the main bowlers picking up a wicket.

Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, Ishan Kishan’s batting carnage powered India into a commanding position before Saim Ayub’s spin wizardry halted their progress.

Put into bat first, India racked up 175-7 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan inflicted a poor start on India with Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal in the very first over.

The left-hander was caught for a duck in an interesting move from skipper Salman Ali Agha, who himself decided to bowl the opening over.

After an early wicket, Ishan Kishan unleashed fireworks that Pakistan could not control till the halfway mark of the innings.

He forged a 87 run partnership off 46 with Tilak Varma to keep India afloat. The pair brought the scorecard to 88 in 8.4 overs.

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Kishan played the core aggressor role while Varma played the second fiddle.

Pakistan managed to hold on as the stand eventually culminated with Kishan’s wicket.

He remained the top-scorer with a sublime 77 from 40, peppered with 10 fours and three sixes.

Despite the wicket, India carried on the momentum as skipper Suryakumar Yadav stitched a cautious 38-run stand with Varma.

India were 126 in 14.2 overs when Saim Ayub turned the game with his double-wicket over.

The right-arm off-spinner removed Varma and Haridk Pandya on back-to-back deliveries to make a strong comeback.

Varma made a sluggish 25 from 24 with the aid of a six and two fours, whereas Pandya was caught on long off for a duck.

Consequently, India suddenly slumped to 126-4 in 14.3 overs.

After quick wickets, Pakistan effectively managed to slow down India’s progress despite a brief stand of 33 between Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube.

Yadav eventually departed after scoring 32 from 29, while Dube played till the end, ensuring that India posted an above-par score.

The left-hander struck 27 off 17 with the aid of three fours and a six.

For Pakistan, it was Saim Ayub who stood out with the ball, picking up three wickets in his four overs while giving away only 25.

Usman Tariq was the other bowler who remained economical. The off-spinner gave only 24 in his four overs and took the important wicket of the Indian skipper.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

READ: USA keep T20 World Cup hopes alive with win over Namibia

India defeat Pakistan by 61 runs

COLOMBO: Ishan Kishan’s quick-fire 77, followed by a dominant bowling attack, helped India defeat Pakistan in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

IND 114 (18 Overs)

17.6: Usman Tariq 0 (3)
Tariq backs away and then makes a feeble attempt at a back-foot punch. The ball breezes past the outside edge and then rattles into the stumps.

Hardik Pandya to bowl

IND 106/9 (17 Overs)

Rinku Singh to bowl now

IND 97/9 (16 Overs)

15.4: Abrar Ahmed 0 (1)
Googly on the back of a length just outside off. Abrar has no clue about it. The ball jams him on the pad right in front.

15.3: Faheem Ashraf 10 (14)
Faheem chances his arm, but the ball is well inside the deep mid-wicket fence, and Rinku was never going to drop that.

Varun Chakravarthy returns

IND 94/7 (15 Overs)

Tilak Varma continues

IND 89/7 (14 Overs)

Kuldeep Yadav continues

IND 84/7 (13 Overs)

12.1: Shadab Khan 14 (15)
Shadab thinks he can smash this into the ocean, but slices across it way too much, and Dube settles under it at long off to hand Tilak a wicket.

Tilak Varma gets the ball

IND 78/6 (12 Overs)

11.4: Mohammad Nawaz 4 (5)
Nawaz tries to shovel it away, but the shot lacks the power to clear the fence. Shivam Dube moves a little to his right and pouches it.

Kuldeep Yadav continues

IND 73/5 (11 Overs)

10.4: Usman Khan 44 (34)
Usman steps out of his crease and is nowhere close to the pitch of the ball; the wicket-keeper whipped off the bails.

Axar Patel continues

IND 71/4 (10 Overs)

Kuldeep Yadav comes to bowl

IND 66/4 (9 Overs)

Axar Patel continues

IND 57/4 (8 Overs)

Varun Chakravarthy continues

IND 47/4 (7 Overs)

Axar Patel continues

IND 38/4 (6 Overs)

Varun Chakravarthy comes to bowl

IND 34/4 (5 Overs)

4.5: Babar Azam 5 (7)
Babar has a massive slog at it and gets nowhere close to the ball, which also comes in with the arm.

Axar Patel replaces Hardik Pandya

IND 25/3 (4 Overs)

Bumrah continues

IND 21/3 (3 Overs)

Hardik Pandya continues

IND 13/3 (2 Overs)

1.6: Salman Ali Agha 4 (4)
Salman tries to pick this up and dump it over mid wicket, but the shape is all wrong, and mid on cannot believe the offering that has come his way.

1.2: Saim Ayub 6 (2)
In-swinging yorker, starting on middle and then swerving in. Ayub seems to fall across and then plays all around it. The bat is nowhere near the ball as it kisses the front pad first.

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the second over

IND 0/1 (1 Over)

0.4: Sahibzada Farhan 0 (4)
Dug in short outside off and Farhan, after three dot balls, feels the pinch to get one away, and Rinku, stationed at mid on, makes no mistake.

Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub come out to open the innings for Pakistan, while Hardik Pandya is taking the new ball for Team India.

PAKISTAN vs INDIA (1st INNINGS)

COLOMBO: Ishan Kishan’s quick-fire 77 helped India post against Pakistan in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

IND 175/7 (20 Overs)

19.6: Axar Patel 0 (1)
The bat face closes upon impact, and Axar arrows it towards deep mid wicket, where Ayub runs in and gobbles up the chance smartly.

19.5: Shivam Dube 27 (17)
There is some confusion between the batters, and the end result is that Dube has been run out.

Shaheen Afridi to bowl the final over

IND 159/5 (19 Overs)

18.5: Suryakumar Yadav 32 (29)
Tossed up on a length on middle and off, SKY looks for the slog sweep but has no pace to work with. Saim Ayub pockets an easy catch!

Usman Tariq to bowl the penultimate over

IND 154/4 (18 Overs)

Abrar Ahmed returns

IND 140/4 (17 Overs)

Usman Tariq returns

IND 136/4 (16 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

IND 127/4 (15 Overs)

14.3: Hardik Pandya 0 (1)
Hardik goes a mile up, and he bites the dust as the ball safely lands in the hands of Babar Azam.

14.2: Tilak Varma 25 (24)
Zipped in full on the middle stump, Tilak looks to tonk it into tomorrow via a slog sweep but misses it completely as the ball comes in with the arm.

Saim Ayub returns to the attack

IND 125/2 (14 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

IND 118/2 (13 Overs)

Usman Tariq continues

IND 108/2 (12 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

IND 98/2 (11 Overs)

Usman Tariq replaces Saim Ayub

IND 92/2 (10 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz comes onto the bowl

IND 89/2 (9 Overs)

8.4: Ishan Kishan 77 (40)
Kishan backs away, perhaps trying to force the ball through the offside. The ball spins appreciably, sticks in the surface, and the stumps have been rattled.

Saim Ayub returns

IND 82/1 (8 Overs)

Shadab Khan comes onto the attack

IND 65/1 (7 Overs)

Abrar Ahmed continues

IND 52/1 (6 Overs)

Saim Ayub continues

IND 41/1 (5 Overs)

Abrar Ahmed replaces Salman Ali Agha

IND 30/1 (4 Overs)

Saim Ayub replaces Shaheen Afridi in the attack

IND 25/1 (3 Overs)

Salman Ali Agha continues

IND 16/1 (2 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi comes to bowl from the other end

IND 1/1 (1 Over)

0.6: Abhishek Sharma 0 (4)
Darted in on the back of a length on middle and leg. Skids on and gets a little big on Abhishek. He has a hack at it, but all he musters is a tame chip to Shaheen.

Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan come out to open the innings for India, while skipper Salman Ali Agha is taking the new ball for the Green Shirts.

PAKISTAN vs INDIA (1st INNINGS)

COLOMBO: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against arch-rivals India in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Historically, India have held the upper hand in T20 Internationals, winning 13 of the 16 meetings between the two sides, with Pakistan claiming three victories.

Overall matches: 16, India: 12, Pakistan: 3, Tied: 1

In T20 World Cup clashes, India lead 7-1, with one match ending in a tie at the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup.

Both teams enter the contest unbeaten in the group stage. The Green Shirts have secured wins over the Netherlands and the USA, while India have defeated the USA and Namibia.

READ: T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan captains skip handshake at toss

T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan captains skip handshake at toss

COLOMBO: India and Pakistan captains again skipped customary handshakes at the toss of the high-octane clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Following the toss, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha avoided interaction with Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav.

The Indian skipper later followed a similar thing, with no visible exchange between the two captains.

Earlier, it was reported that both teams would avoid handshakes, a practice that began during the Asia Cup 2025.

Meanwhile, former Indian player Sanjay Manjrekar also slammed India’s conduct over the no handshake policy

“This ‘no shaking hands’ is such a silly thing that India has started. It’s unbecoming of a nation like ours. Either play properly within the spirit of the game or don’t play at all,” he wrote on his X.

The issue first arose during the first of three clashes between Pakistan and India in the Asia Cup 2025.

India and Pakistan met three times in the continental tournament and on each occasion, they avoided the customary handshake.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan win toss against India

T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan win toss against India

COLOMBO: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against arch-rivals India in the blockbuster match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed.

India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Historically, India have held the upper hand in T20 Internationals, winning 13 of the 16 meetings between the two sides, with Pakistan claiming three victories.

Overall matches: 16, India: 12, Pakistan: 3, Tied: 1

In T20 World Cup clashes, India lead 7-1, with one match ending in a tie at the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup.

T20 World Cup matches: 8, India: 7, Pakistan: 1, Tied: 1

Both teams enter the contest unbeaten in the group stage. Pakistan have secured wins over the Netherlands and the USA, while India have defeated the USA and Namibia, setting the stage for another high-pressure chapter in cricket’s most intense rivalry.

READ: West Indies thrash Nepal to seal Super Eight spot in T20 World Cup

India outclass Pakistan in ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026

BANGKOK: India cricket team recorded their first victory in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 with a convincing eight-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the Terdthai Cricket Ground on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, Pakistan endured a difficult outing against a disciplined Indian bowling unit and were bowled out for just 93 in 18.5 overs.

Early strikes left Pakistan under pressure as Yusra Amir fell for one to Saima Thakor, while Omaima Sohail was dismissed for one by Jintimani Kalita, reducing them to 15-2 inside the first four overs.

The middle order failed to recover from the early blows.

Eman Naseer was run out after scoring four, Hafsa Khalid managed just one before falling to Thakor, and Huraina Sajjad added only two before being removed by Radha Yadav.

Amid the collapse, Shawaal Zulfiqar offered resistance with a fighting 23 off 29 balls, including three boundaries, before Yadav struck again.

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Anosha Nasir chipped in with 17 but was run out, while Gull Rukh contributed 21 off 28 deliveries, hitting a four and a six, before falling to Prema Rawat.

Chasing a modest target, India completed the task comfortably, reaching the total in just 10.1 overs with two wickets down.

The star of the chase was Dinesh Vrinda, who produced a dominant unbeaten 55 off 29 balls, smashing 12 boundaries to seal the win.

Anushka Sharma supported with a steady 24 off 26 balls before being dismissed by Momina Riasat.

Pakistan did manage an early breakthrough when Waheeda Akhtar removed opener Humaira Kazi for a first-ball duck, but it proved only a minor setback.

Tejal Hasabnis remained unbeaten on 12 off five balls, striking a four and a six to finish the chase in style.

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