While eyes stay on Men's T20 World Cup, India Women A stun Pakistan in Rising Stars clash

The world has its eyes set on Colombo. But roughly 2,400 km away in Bangkok, an Indian women’s cricket team made heads turn during their clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. India Women A delivered a dominant all-round performance against Pakistan Women A in Bangkok at the ACC Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, sealing an eight-wicket win.

What went down at the ACC Rising Stars match

With global attention focused on the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, India’s young women quietly produced a commanding display at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok.

After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Hafsa Khalid opted to bat, but the decision quickly backfired. Saima Thakor struck in the first over by dismissing Yusra Amir, giving India an early breakthrough.

Pakistan struggled to recover as wickets fell regularly. Opener Shawaal Zilfiqar top-scored with 23 off 29 balls, including three boundaries, while Khalid was bowled for just one by Thakor in the fifth over.

Lower down the order, Gull Rukh scored 21 and hit the only six of the innings, and Anosha Nasir added 17 to push the total past 90.

Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 93 in 18.5 overs. Thakor, Radha Yadav, and Prema Rawat picked up two wickets each, while Jintimani Kalita and Minnu Mani claimed one apiece.

Who are Vrinda Dinesh and Humairaa Kaazi?

Chasing a modest target of 94, India opened with Vrinda Dinesh and Humairaa Kaazi. Kaazi was dismissed on the first ball by Waheeda Akhtar, briefly lifting Pakistan’s hopes.

Those hopes were soon extinguished as Dinesh and Anushka Sharma stitched together a decisive 79-run stand for the second wicket. Sharma scored 24 off 26 balls before falling to Momina Riasat in the eighth over.

Dinesh remained unbeaten on 55 off 29 balls, hammering 12 fours in a fluent display. She was well supported by Tejal Hasabnis, who finished on 12 not out off five balls, including a four and a six.

India reached the target in just 10.1 overs to register a comfortable eight-wicket win.

What is the no-handshake tradition between India and Pakistan?

Beyond the cricketing result, attention once again turned to the absence of pre and post-match handshakes between the two teams. According to reports, players from India and Pakistan chose to skip the customary gesture, continuing a pattern seen in recent years.

This practice has become increasingly common in bilateral and multi-nation tournaments since the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, reflecting broader geopolitical tensions. Similar scenes were witnessed during the men’s Asia Cup 2025, the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, the Under-19 Asia Cup, and previous Rising Stars events.

The continuation of this policy in a developmental tournament like Rising Stars underlines how deeply the shift has filtered into all levels of India-Pakistan cricket. While India celebrated a dominant victory, the silent standoff off the field once again became a talking point.

(With inputs from ANI)