Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has publicly defended the selection of her squad for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup, responding to concerns raised by former skipper Anjum Chopra. Kaur, who led the national side to ODI World Cup victory in November 2025 following a series win against South Africa at home, maintained 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 Rawal has been a particular point of contention for Chopra. Brought in as a replacement for Jemimah Rodrigues—who is sidelined with a high-grade right hamstring tear sustained while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred—Rawal’s inclusion has drawn scrutiny. This marks her maiden T20I call-up, and she has not featured in a T20 match since the November 2024 Challenger Trophy, where she recorded 142 runs at a strike rate of 111.81. Furthermore, Rawal missed the 2026 WPL season for UP Warriorz due to an ankle injury from the 2025 ODI World Cup and was recently sidelined from the historic one-off Test at Lord’s in July after sustaining lacerations during an India ‘A’ game against England ‘A’.
Despite these concerns, Kaur remains optimistic about India’s prospects as they look to move past their 2024 final defeat to Sri Lanka. The team begins its Group A campaign against Thailand on August 30, followed by matches against Hong Kong China and Pakistan. “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,” Kaur added, noting the positive atmosphere following their recent success at Lord’s.
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.
Oza expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to compete against top-tier teams like India and Pakistan on home turf. “The prospect of playing in the Asia Cup on the home ground is very exciting. We are not thinking about the pressure of playing at home, rather we are excited and looking forward to getting our campaign under way,” she said. Oza emphasized that the team is balanced and views the tournament as a significant learning opportunity.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is also looking to make history, as her team aims to secure its first-ever Asia Cup title after reaching the finals in 2012 and 2016. Addressing the highly anticipated clash against India on September 5, Sana acknowledged the pressure but insisted on maintaining a consistent 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 pratika sustained lacerations while fielding in an India ‘A’ 50-over game against England ‘A’ and missed the historic one-off Test at Lord’s in July. 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.
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