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The India Women’s National Cricket Team may have crushed the Pakistan Women’s National Cricket Team by seven wickets, but former captain Anjum Chopra is still worried about the team’s batting top order in the ongoing Women's Asia Cup 2026.
She feels the top three need to improve before the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup 2026 semi-final. Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, and Pratika Rawal failed to make an impact while chasing only 56 runs against Pakistan in the group match. Amid this, Kranti Gaud targeted with sexist abuse during Women's Asia Cup 2026 clash vs Pakistan.
Anjum Chopra raises major concern over India’s top-order collapse
Shafali made 12 off 6 balls, and Mandhana scored 9 off 11, while Pratika managed just 4 off 3. India was at 29/3 in the fourth over before Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma finished the chase with a 28-run partnership in Dubai.
Reacting to the performance, Anjum Chopra believes that the early collapse is a major concern for the India Women’s National Cricket Team despite the easy win over the Pakistan Women’s National Cricket Team in the group match of the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
Chopra feels Indian women should not depend on the captain, Harmanpreet Kaur or Deepti Sharma, to rescue the team while chasing such small targets. She also pointed out that the way the top three are getting out is more worrying than simply losing wickets.
'India cannot keep relying on Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma'
Anjum Chopra said on Sony Liv, as quoted by New18: “Actually, the player who scored a century in the last match (Mandhana) was given out on the first ball in this one. It’s a different matter that the umpire didn’t hear it, but we certainly did because we have the stump mic audio in our commentary box.
Anyway, leaving that aside, even after that she was scoring runs, and then she got out. Shafali Verma got out. And we’re only saying this because when you’re chasing just 56 runs, and you lose your top three wickets—aapko fir kaptaan laga run banane ke liye (again, you needed the captain to score runs), and needed Deepti Sharma to score runs.”
Anjum Chopra says India’s top three must step up in Women's Asia Cup 2026 semi-final
The well-known broadcaster feels Smriti, Shafali, and Pratika should be giving India a strong start in the first 11-12 overs of every match, as India will face pressure in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 semi-final. Earlier, Fatima Sana punished by Jay Shah's ICC after Shafali Verma send-off.
The team has very few top-order options on the bench, with the only available top-order batter being 18-year-old power hitter G. Kamalini. This makes things tough for the team.
Chopra added, “I mean, what more can the poor thing say, apart from ‘these things happen’? But I think this is not a good sign for the Indian team… And if you’re losing three wickets while chasing 56 runs, sure, you can get out—that’s part of the game.
But the way you’re getting out, which balls, which shots you’re playing—that’s the worrying part. If we look at our top three, this is not what India’s top order should look like. Because if you think about it, at least in the first 11 or 12 overs, this top three—Smriti, Shafali, and Pratika—should be putting up a solid foundation in every match.”
Notably, Sri Lanka and India both qualified for Group A and B for the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 semifinals, while the rest of the two teams are yet to be decided. Bangladesh and Pakistan have more chances to earn those two semifinal spots.
