Pakistan suffered their lowest-ever T20I total against India, but Wahab Riaz still believes they are the best team in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.

Riaz made this statement after a one-sided India W vs Pakistan W match in Dubai. Pakistan were bowled out for only 55 runs. India then chased the small target easily and won the match by seven wickets.

Pakistan’s batting was the biggest problem in the game. The team struggled to score runs and lost wickets one after another. However, Riaz did not lose confidence in his players. The Pakistan team mentor said that the conditions could still help them in the tournament.

“I believe that all the players in our team are very skilful, and they just need to trust themselves,” Riaz told reporters after the match.

Wahab Riaz also accepted that Pakistan needed to understand their mistakes. 

“Our next match is against Hong Kong. We will go back and discuss what we did wrong against India. We won’t commit the same mistakes,” he said.

Riaz then made a strong statement about Pakistan’s chances in the tournament.

“I still believe Pakistan is the best side in this Asia Cup to lift the trophy because the conditions really suit us,” he added.

His confidence came after one of Pakistan’s worst batting performances in India Women vs Pakistan Women history.

Pakistan suffer their lowest T20I score

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, but their decision did not work out. Their innings soon turned into a major batting collapse as India’s bowlers took control of the match.

The Pakistan Women team managed only 55 runs before losing all their wickets in 18.1 overs. This became their lowest-ever total in women’s T20Is. Their previous lowest score was 56 runs against New Zealand in Dubai on October 14, 2024.

Pakistan initially looked comfortable after reaching 27 runs without losing a wicket. However, India quickly changed the match with regular wickets. Their bowlers put constant pressure on the Pakistan batters and did not allow them to form useful partnerships.

Shree Charani and Prema Rawat led India’s bowling attack with three wickets each. Deepti Sharma also took two wickets. Pakistan’s batters struggled to score boundaries and failed to add enough runs after the early wickets.

India needed only 56 runs to win. They completed the chase with seven wickets in hand and secured a comfortable victory. Check the full scoreboard of this match HERE

The result also helped India move to the top of Group A and confirm their place in the semi-finals. Pakistan, meanwhile, now face greater pressure. They have two points from two matches and need a strong result against Hong Kong to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

This made Riaz’s confidence even more surprising. Pakistan have just suffered a record-low score and cannot afford another poor performance in their next match.

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Wahab Riaz explains Pakistan’s big changes

Wahab Riaz also faced questions about the big changes to the Pakistan squad. Former captain Sana Mir had criticized the decision. The management dropped seven players after the T20 World Cup and brought new players into the team. Riaz defended the move. 

“Sana Mir has her own opinion. I have nothing to do with that opinion. We have made changes with the future in mind,” Riaz said.

Riaz explained that many experienced players had already played in several World Cups and Asia Cups. 

“The players who were playing before, they have played a lot of World Cups and Asia Cups but we weren’t getting the results,” Riaz said.

He said Pakistan needed to give younger and new players a chance. According to Riaz, the management wants to build a team that can perform better in future tournaments.

“So it was time to go with new faces and bring new girls into the mix to build the team for the upcoming tournaments.”

Riaz also said the changes were not only about removing experienced players. He believed the team needed to look at performances and results.

“It is not about who we left behind. We have to look at the reality. The girls who were left out weren’t performing at all. I think we did the right move by bringing new girls into the mix,” he added.

The decision will now face more attention after Pakistan’s poor batting show against India. The new-look team will need to respond quickly if they want to stay in the tournament.

Fatima Sana dismisses Shafali Verma

Pakistan’s poor batting was the biggest talking point of the match, but captain Fatima Sana also made an impact with the ball. Pakistan had scored only 55 runs, so they needed quick wickets to put India under pressure.

Fatima gave them the start they wanted by dismissing Shafali Verma early in the chase. Shafali tried to play Fatima’s good-length delivery towards the leg side, but the ball took a leading edge and went back to the bowler.

Fatima completed the catch and then gave Shafali a fiery send-off. The Indian opener had already scored 12 runs from six balls, including two boundaries.

The moment also caught the attention of commentator Vivek Razdan, who made a pointed comment about the send-off after Pakistan’s low total.

“Okay, you are showing her the way out. Your entire team just scored 55 runs, and now you’re sending Shafali Verma back,” Razdan said on air.

Despite getting out early, Shafali had already achieved a major milestone. She became the youngest batter to score 3,000 runs in women’s T20Is, reaching the mark at 22 years and 220 days. She broke Ireland’s Gaby Lewis’ record. Shafali also needed only 2,182 balls, making her the fastest batter to reach 3,000 women’s T20I runs. 

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Fatima takes three wickets, but India win easily

Fatima did not stop after dismissing Shafali. She also removed India captain Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, taking three wickets in the chase. Her bowling gave Pakistan some hope, but India had only 56 runs to chase.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma stayed calm and guided India to the target without taking unnecessary risks. India won by seven wickets and strengthened their position in the tournament.

Pakistan, meanwhile, must quickly move on from the defeat and focus on Hong Kong. The match showed the big difference between the two sides. Pakistan scored only 55 runs, while India chased the target comfortably.

However, the defeat did not change Wahab Riaz’s belief in his team. He still feels Pakistan can win the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 because the conditions suit them.

Pakistan now needs to improve their batting and avoid the mistakes they made against India. Their match against Hong Kong will be important for their semi-final hopes and will also test Riaz’s confidence in the team.

What do you think? Was Wahab Riaz right about what he said about the team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

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