Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has defended the selection of her squad for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup, following public skepticism from former skipper Anjum Chopra. The debate centered on the inclusion of Pratika Rawal, who was brought into the side as a replacement for Jemimah Rodrigues after the latter suffered a high-grade right hamstring tear while competing for Southern Brave in The Hundred.
Kaur, who led India to ODI World Cup glory in November 2025 with a victory over South Africa on home soil, insisted that the current roster represents the best available talent. “We have picked the best squad available for the selection. All of them have given a very impressive performance and that is why they are in the team,” Kaur stated.
The selection of Pratika has drawn scrutiny because it marks her maiden T20I call-up, and she has not participated in a T20 match since the Challenger Trophy in November 2024, where she recorded 142 runs at a strike rate of 111.81. Furthermore, she missed the 2026 WPL season for UP Warriorz due to an ankle injury sustained during the 2025 ODI World Cup. Critics have also raised concerns about her match fitness, noting that she sustained lacerations while fielding in an India ‘A’ 50-over match against England ‘A’ and subsequently missed the historic one-off Test at Lord’s in July. She was selected ahead of experienced T20I players Anushka Sharma and Harleen Deol.
India enters the tournament looking to redeem themselves after a loss to Sri Lanka in the 2024 final. Kaur remains optimistic about their chances, noting that the team has enjoyed a positive atmosphere following their recent win at Lord’s. “We have a strong team and we have played a lot of cricket here before so I am pretty much confident that we will lift the trophy,” she added. India’s Group A campaign begins on August 30 against Thailand, followed by matches against Hong Kong China and arch-rivals Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the UAE squad, led by seasoned all-rounder Esha Oza, is preparing for the eight-team tournament. Placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, the UAE will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on August 29. They are scheduled to face Indonesia on September 4 and Bangladesh on September 8.
Esha expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to compete against top-tier teams like India and Pakistan. “We are excited with the prospect of playing with the big teams like India and Pakistan. We have played a lot of cricket in the UAE and know the conditions pretty well,” she said. Regarding the pressure of playing at home, she emphasized that the squad is focused on the tournament, adding, “We are not thinking about the pressure of playing at home, rather we are excited and looking forward to getting our campaign under way.”
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is also setting her sights on a historic victory, aiming to break the team’s Asia Cup jinx. Despite reaching the finals in 2012 and 2016, Pakistan has yet to secure the continental title. Sana acknowledged the intensity of their upcoming clash with India on September 5, but maintained a focused approach. “It is always a high pressure game but we don’t take any match lightly. If you have to win a tournament, you should try to maintain the winning momentum from the beginning. All the matches are equally important,” she remarked. The report also notes that mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter. The report also notes that injury-returning player like Pratika should be thrown straight into the playing eleven, the bigger issue for Anjum is also whether an untested. The report also notes that india will look to claim the trophy to finish the unfinished business as the seven-time winners suffered defeat in the 2024 edition final to eventual champions Sri Lanka in Dambulla. The report also notes that “We have played some excellent cricket in the 4-5 years and we are coming into the tournament on the back of a win at Lord’s. The report also notes that so there is a positive vibe in the dressing room as everyone is talking about winning the matches,” she informed. The report also notes that seasoned all-rounder Esha Oza will lead the 15-member UAE squad in the eight-team DP World Women’s Asia Cup. The report also notes that they lost to archrivals India, on both the occasions.
