Women's Asia Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur to become first cricketer ever to notch this mighty feat vs Pakistan

Sports Tak

UPDATED: Sep 05, 2026 04:26 PM IST

Sports Tak•

UPDATED: Sep 05, 2026 04:26 PM IST

India's Harmanpreet Kaur (L) and Pakistan's Fatima Sana in this frame. (Getty)

Story Highlights:

Harmanpreet Kaur has her sights on mighty T20I feat during India vs Pakistan Women's Asia Cup clash

Harmanpreet Kaur is set to become first ever captain to lead team in 150 T20I matches

When India takes the field against Pakistan in the Women's Asia Cup 2026, all eyes will be on Harmanpreet Kaur as she cements her name in the annals of cricket history. Taking charge of her 150th Twenty20 International as skipper, she stands alone across both men's and women's cricket as the first player ever to captain a nation in 150 matches in the shortest format. Notably, the leader in the men's game lags far behind, with Namibia's Gerhard Erasmus holding the top spot at 91 matches, followed closely by Rwanda's Cletus Rubagumya (90) and Pakistan's Babar Azam (85).

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Harmanpreet Kaur to becomes 1st captain to lead team in 150 T20I matches

This monumental achievement comes as the culmination of over a decade of leadership. Since first stepping into the role in 2012, Harmanpreet has served as the bedrock of the Indian squad. Arriving at this high-stakes clash stuck on 149 matches, her overall track record already reflects a remarkable career: 86 victories, 57 defeats, one tied fixture, and five matches ending with no result.

Adding to the occasion, the landmark arrives amidst an already dominant tournament run for the Men in Blue's female counterparts. Having effectively wrapped up a spot in the semi-finals with back-to-back wins over Thailand and Hong Kong, India enters this marquee rivalry match with low pressure on the table, allowing the spotlight to shine fully on their captain's historic milestone.

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When looking at her contemporaries in the women's game, Harmanpreet's leadership endurance becomes even more striking. Her closest rival is Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu with 121 T20Is as captain, followed by Rwanda's Mary Bimenyimana at 101. Legendary Australian skipper Meg Lanning sits fourth on the all-time list, having led her side in 100 T20Is before retiring. Harmanpreet’s landmark moment also closely follows another milestone within the Indian camp, coming right after all-rounder Deepti Sharma earned her 150th T20I appearance as a player in India's tournament opener against Thailand.

Smriti Mandhana also eyes big record

The marquee rivalry match also holds personal history for several other star players. Indian opener Smriti Mandhana—fresh off a blistering 124 against Hong Kong—enters the contest needing 78 runs to surpass Suzie Bates' record of 4,758 and become the leading run-scorer in women's T20I history. On the opposing side, Pakistan's Muneeba Ali sits on the brink of two achievements of her own, needing just two more appearances to hit 100 T20I caps and 31 runs to register the highest T20I run tally by a Pakistani woman in a single calendar year.