Captain Harmanpreet Becomes First Female to Lead India in 150 T20I Matches

In a landmark moment at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Harmanpreet Kaur captained India’s women’s side for the 150th time in a T20 International, a first for any Indian female cricketer. The achievement came during the ninth encounter of the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup, where India faced Pakistan after the toss decision favored the visitors.

The milestone places Harmanpreet ahead of Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, who has led 121 T20Is, and New Zealand’s Meg Lanning, who captained 100 matches. India’s campaign has been impressive, with early victories over Thailand and Hong Kong solidifying a semi‑final position. The team’s unchanged playing eleven took the field against Pakistan, a side that has historically struggled against India in the format – 14 wins for India out of 17 matches.

While Harmanpreet’s batting has not been a highlight – registering five runs against Thailand and ten against Hong Kong – her leadership remains pivotal. The squad featured Smriti Mandhana, Shefali Varma, Pratikka Raval, Bharati Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (keeper), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Nandini Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaur.