Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has publicly defended the selection of her squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, addressing concerns raised by former skipper Anjum Chopra. The debate centers on the inclusion of Pratika Rawal, who was brought in as a replacement for Jemimah Rodrigues after the latter suffered a high-grade right hamstring tear during her stint with Southern Brave in The Hundred.
Kaur, who led India to ODI World Cup victory in November 2025 by defeating South Africa on home soil, stood by the selection process. “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 decision to include Pratika has drawn scrutiny because it marks her maiden T20I call-up and her first T20 appearance since the November 2024 Challenger Trophy, where she recorded 142 runs at a strike rate of 111.81. Furthermore, Pratika missed the 2026 WPL season due to an ankle injury sustained during the 2025 ODI World Cup and was sidelined during the July one-off Test at Lord’s after suffering lacerations while fielding in an India ‘A’ match against England ‘A’.
Despite these concerns, Kaur remains optimistic about India’s chances of securing the trophy, aiming to move past their runner-up finish in the 2024 edition. India begins their Group A campaign against Thailand on August 30, followed by matches against Hong Kong China and arch-rivals 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 that a recent win at Lord’s has bolstered the squad’s morale.
In the UAE camp, seasoned all-rounder Esha Oza is set to lead a 15-member squad in the DP World Women’s Asia Cup. Placed in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, the UAE team is looking to leverage their familiarity with local conditions. Their tournament opener is scheduled against Sri Lanka on August 29, followed by fixtures against Indonesia on September 4 and Bangladesh on September 8.
“We are excited with the prospect of playing with the big teams like India and Pakistan. 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,” Oza remarked. She emphasized that the tournament serves as a crucial learning opportunity for her balanced side.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is aiming to break her team’s Asia Cup jinx, as they seek their first continental title after reaching the finals in 2012 and 2016. Sana acknowledged the intensity of the upcoming clash against 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 said. The report also notes that mohammad Abdullah, Senior Sports Reporter. The report also notes that for the Asia Cup, Pratika, who didn’t play WPL 2026 for UP Warriorz due to an ankle injury sustained during the 2025 ODI World Cup, was selected ahead of Anushka Sharma and Harleen Deol, who had previously been part of the T20I side. 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 they lost to archrivals India, on both the occasions.
