Fatima Sana did not soften the blow after Pakistan’s opening night in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. India beat Pakistan by 64 runs at Edgebaston on Sunday, and Pakistan’s captain said the batting and fielding both fell short.
India finished on 170 for six after batting first, then Pakistan folded for 106 in 17 overs. Smriti Mandhana led the charge with 68 off 44 balls, Harmanpreet Kaur added 36 and Richa Ghosh made 34, while Deepti Sharma took 5 for 10 as India’s spinners combined for nine wickets.
The score line only tells part of it. Pakistan had been in control for much of the first innings, Sana said, but the game turned in the last 15 overs when extra runs started to leak and catches went down. Mandhana was dropped twice, first by Aliya Riaz on 27 and then by Saira Jabeen on 55, and those missed chances helped India turn a respectable total into a heavy one.
Sana called Pakistan’s batting “really disappointing” and said the team still has a long way to go in the World Cup. She also said the side must improve its bowling and fielding before the next matches, because mistakes in the field can cost them again.
That is the hard edge of an opening defeat: Pakistan now have no room to hide behind a narrow miss or a late collapse. They were close for a stretch, then lost control, and the margin was shaped as much by dropped catches and extra runs as by the runs India’s top order put on the board. Sana’s message was plain. Pakistan need sharper fielding, steadier batting and a faster response before the tournament asks the same questions again.
