Ahead of India’s much-awaited clash against arch-rival Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, all-rounder Deepti Sharma said that the Women in Blue have always been one step ahead of their Pakistani counterparts.
India booked its place in the Asia Cup semifinals after wrapping up a facile 137-run win over Hong Kong, which came after its 94-run victory over Thailand. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team is currently on top of Group A, with Pakistan in second with two points from its win over the Thai.
“Look, there is no advantage as such. The only thing is that whatever we have won against them (Pakistan), whether it is the Asia Cup or any other matches, we are always one step ahead of them. And that’s it,” Deepti said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
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“The whole team is performing well. If you look at the bowling unit or the batting unit, I think both things are balanced. The one who has a good day, she tries to do better and take the game further. And those around her, they try to stay positive things so that they step in more in their game.”
Asked about the Pakistan team, she said, “Look, our team is also good and their bowlers are also good. We know that. But we focus more on the strengths we have. And as I said, we want to play a good brand of cricket. That’s what we are focusing on.
“We just want to play good cricket. As a bowling unit, as a batting unit, the team should be as compact as we are playing in two games. That’s the mindset,” Deepti, who’s currently at the top of the wicket-taking charts in women’s T20Is ahead of Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong, said.
(With PTI inputs)
Published on Sep 04, 2026