Ind Women vs Pak Women Live: Pakistan Strike Early in Powerplay

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s bowling attack delivered a spectacular opening punch to restrict India to 32/2 at the end of the powerplay during their high-stakes ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group 1 encounter at Edgbaston.

After India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the coin toss and elected to bat first under overcast skies, opening batter Shafali Verma signaled aggressive intent from the very first ball of the match. Verma emphatically launched Iqbal over the mid-off boundary for a massive six, setting a lively tone for the electric crowd in Birmingham. However, the world’s top-ranked T20I bowler staged an immediate and dramatic comeback. 

Adjusting her length and extracting extra bounce from the surface, Iqbal completely deceived Verma just four balls later, forcing a sharp feather edge that was cleanly taken by wicketkeeper Muneeba Ali behind the stumps to send the dangerous opener back for a brief six runs.

Jemimah Rodrigues arrived at the crease early but struggled to find any fluency against a disciplined Pakistani bowling attack. The pressure mounted quickly as Pakistan’s fielding remained immaculate across the inner ring. In the subsequent overs, bowler Tasmia Rubab capitalized on India's sudden vulnerability on a testing track. Bowling a tight, probing line outside off-stump, Rubab induced a mistimed stroke from Rodrigues, who was safely caught by Natalia Pervaiz for just one run off seven deliveries.

The quick double strike left the star-studded Indian batting lineup reeling early in the Powerplay. Openers Smriti Mandhana and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur were left with the monumental task of rebuilding the innings against a rampant Pakistan bowling unit. With India vulnerable under early pressure, Pakistan firmly seized control of the opening six overs, capitalizing on their tactical discipline to completely rattle their arch-rivals.

Watch Ind Women vs Pak Women live on tapmad.