Colombo: India defeated Pakistan by 88 runs in an important ICC Women’s World Cup group-stage match, played in Colombo on Saturday. The Indian team set a challenging target of 248 runs before bowling out Pakistan for 159 runs in 43 overs.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana won the toss and chose to field first. India managed to post 247 runs on the board before being bowled out on the final delivery of the 50th over — marking the first time India’s women’s team has been completely dismissed against Pakistan in an ODI.
For India, Harleen Deol scored 46 runs, Richa Ghosh made 35, Jemimah Rodrigues added 32, and Pratika Rawal contributed 31 runs. From Pakistan’s side, Diana Baig bowled brilliantly, taking four wickets, while Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal claimed two wickets each.
In response, Pakistan’s batting lineup struggled under pressure. Sidra Ameen stood out with a fighting 81-run knock, while Natalia Pervaiz scored 33 and Sidra Nawaz added 14. However, the rest of the batting order failed to reach double digits, and Pakistan fell well short of the target.
For India, Deepti Sharma and Kranti Gaud each took three wickets, while Sneh Rana dismissed two batters.
After the match, an awkward moment followed as Indian players avoided the traditional post-match handshake with the Pakistani team. Even during the toss, both captains spoke only to the presenter and did not exchange greetings, reflecting the tense atmosphere between the two rivals.
