Fact Check: Did India, Pakistan players really fight during IND-W vs PAK-W at Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in Birmingham?

1 day ago 3

ARTICLE AD BOX

India defeated Pakistan by 64 runs in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in Birmingham. While Smriti Mandhana scored 68 with the bat, Deepti Sharma impressed with the ball, taking five wickets at the expense of just 10 runs.

Pakistan's Fatima Sana celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Harmanpreet Kaur.

Clashes between players on a cricket field in nothing new, especially when it's India vs Pakistan. From Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal a decade ago to most recent Abhishek Sharma vs Haris Rauf last year, on-field fights during any India vs Pakistan certainly adds a bit of flavour to the rivalry. But in this era of social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI), nothing can be trusted actually.

Recently, India played Pakistan in a match of the ongoing Women's t20 World Cup 2026 in Birmingham on Sunday, which the Harmanpreet Kaur's side won comfortably by 64 runs to start their campaign. However, what caught the attention of the netizens is a video where a Pakistani fielder is attacking an Indian batter in the middle of the game, prompting the players and the umpire to intervene the two.

The video went viral on social media, with several questioning if the incident actually happened during the match, because no such thing came out on the match day itself.

Here's is the IND-W vs PAK-W fake fight video

Did any IND vs PAK fight happen in WT20 World Cup 2026?

Upon closer look, it was concluded that the video is fake as no such incident was reported on the field. In fact, the video was made using AI. The video also showed that the Indian batter held the Pakistani bowler by her neck.

Although India captain Harmnapreet Kaur maintained their no-handshake policy against Pakistan, it did not lead to any fight. Instead, Harmanpreet and her Pakistani counterpart Fatima Sana walked away in their own after India won the toss and opted to bat first.

What happened during IND-W vs PAK-W?

As far as the match is concerned, Deepti Sharma took five wickets to help India bowl out Pakistan for 106 to successfully begin their latest quest for a first Women's T20 World Cup title on Sunday. With this win, India extended their head-to-head record in Women's T20 World Cup to 7-0.

Sharma spun out the last three wickets in five balls as India defended 170 and won by 64 runs in front of a heavily partisan Edgbaston crowd, a sell-out 18,814, a record attendance for a World Cup group match. Earlier, Smriti Mandhana survived twice to post 68.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 36 while Richa Ghosh's explosive 34 off 17 balls, helped India to 170/5 in 20 overs. It's 10 years and counting since Pakistan's last Women's T20 World Cup win over its neighbor.

About the Author

Koushik Paul

Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.

Read Entire Article