Pakistan captain Fatima Sana faced criticism for her send-off to India opener Shafali Verma during their Women’s Asia Cup clash in Dubai on Saturday, September 5. Sana dismissed Shafali caught and bowled before gesturing towards the pavilion, which drew a strong response after Pakistan’s heavy defeat.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, remained unbeaten in the group stage and secured a place in the semifinals of the ongoing tournament. Pakistan, meanwhile, suffered their fifth consecutive T20I defeat against India and now need to beat Hong Kong in their final group match to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
Fatima Sana’s Send-Off After Shafali Verma Dismissal Draws Criticism
On the second ball of the second over during India’s 56-run chase, Shafali Verma smashed a boundary. The next ball, Fatima Sana bowled a good-length delivery that bounced a little more than expected. Shafali managed only a leading edge, and Sana completed the caught-and-bowled dismissal.
The Pakistan skipper then pointed towards the pavilion as the Indian opener walked off without reacting. Commentator Vivek Razdan immediately questioned Sana’s gesture during the live broadcast, especially after Pakistan had been bowled out for just 55. He said:
“Okay, you are showing her the way out. Your entire team just scored 55 runs, and now you’re sending Shafali Verma back.”
Fatima Sana turning up the heat despite the scoreline. 🥵
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— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 5, 2026
The gesture also drew criticism from fans on social media. While Fatima Sana had given Pakistan a brief fight with the ball, many felt the aggressive send-off was unnecessary in a match India were comfortably controlling.
Shafali Verma Creates T20I History Before Dismissal
Shafali Verma created history before Sana dismissed her. The 22-year-old became the youngest batter to score 3,000 runs in Women’s T20Is, reaching the milestone at 22 years and 220 days.
She also became the fastest batter to reach the landmark in terms of balls faced, taking only 2,182 deliveries. She surpassed Ireland’s Gaby Lewis, who reached 3,000 runs at 24 years and 347 days, while Australia’s Alyssa Healy previously held the record in terms of balls faced with 2,321 deliveries.
Shafali opened India’s chase in style, hitting left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal for a six off the first ball. She then completed her 3,000-run milestone with a single before hitting Sana for a boundary. She eventually fell for 12 off six balls but had already given India a fast start.
India Seal Seven-Wicket Win After Pakistan Collapse
Earlier, Fatima Sana won the toss and opted to bat, but Pakistan’s decision quickly backfired. India bowled them out for just 55 in 18.1 overs, their lowest-ever total in Women’s T20Is. Pakistan also lost their final 10 wickets for only 28 runs, with four batters failing to score.
India’s spinners N. Sree Charani and Prema Rawat took three wickets each, while Deepti Sharma claimed two. Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar were the only Pakistan batters to reach double figures, while Sana was dismissed for a seven-ball duck.
Sana gave Pakistan hope by dismissing Shafali, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana to reduce India to 29/3. However, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma stayed unbeaten to guide India to 57/3 in 8.4 overs. Harmanpreet scored 18* and Deepti made 12*, sealing a seven-wicket win with 68 balls to spare.
