Anjum Chopra draws criticism for questioning Smriti Mandhana after Pakistan clash

Anjum Chopra's criticism of Smriti Mandhana after India's win over Pakistan has drawn backlash, with fans defending the opener after her early dismissal. Mandhana scored nine runs as India beat their arch-rivals by seven wickets in Dubai on Saturday.Anjum Chopra draws criticism for questioning Smriti Mandhana after Pakistan clash. Courtesy: Anjum Chopra Instagram/ACCAnjum Chopra’s comments on Smriti Mandhana after India’s win over Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai on Saturday have drawn criticism from fans, with many coming out in support of the Indian opener.Speaking during the broadcast, Chopra questioned India’s batting after the team lost three wickets while chasing just 56 runs. She also pointed to the first ball Mandhana faced, on which the opener got a reprieve. The former India batter felt India needed to look at the way their batters were getting out.“The player who scored a century in the previous match gets out off the very first ball. It’s a different matter that the umpire didn’t hear it, but we heard it, didn’t we?” Chopra said.This is some crazy level of hatered against Smriti my god she was talking directly or indirectly about her the whole time todaySmriti my baccha I'm just sending you power and prayers let's be strong pic.twitter.com/SGDSd3BiKH— peter pan (@smritizzn) September 5, 2026Mandhana had luck on her side when Sadia Iqbal beat her outside off and there was a clear sound as the ball passed the bat. Pakistan appealed for caught behind, but the umpire turned it down, allowing Mandhana to survive despite almost walking back. Mandhana eventually fell for nine off 11 balls as Fatima Sana trapped her lbw. The Pakistan captain pitched the ball up and got it to move back in, with Mandhana late to bring her bat down and pinned in front of middle and leg.Mandhana had earlier produced a brilliant 124 off 64 balls, hitting 14 fours and seven sixes as India posted 193/5 against Hong Kong. Against Pakistan, however, she failed to reach double figures. Fans were quick to point out that one failure should not take away from Mandhana’s impact in the tournament, with many criticising Chopra’s remarks.MANDHANA’S FAILURE COMES IN ONE-SIDED INDIA WINIndia had very little to worry about after their bowlers produced a superb performance. Pakistan were bowled out for just 55, their lowest-ever total in women’s T20Is. Shree Charani and Prema Rawat took three wickets each, while Deepti Sharma claimed two.India then lost Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal and Mandhana early to slip to 29 for three. But there was never any real danger in the chase, with Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma remaining unbeaten as India reached the target in just 8.4 overs.Chopra felt the three early wickets were not necessarily the biggest concern, but the manner in which India lost them was worth looking at.“I think this is not a good thing for the Indian team. If you are losing three wickets while chasing 56 runs, that’s okay. But the concern is how they are getting out and which balls and which shots they are getting out to. That is the worrying part,” she said.For the fans defending Mandhana, though, the larger picture was clear. A nine-run dismissal against Pakistan does not erase her record-breaking knock against Hong Kong, where she became the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket and also moved to the top for most centuries in women’s international cricket.India, meanwhile, will go into the semi-finals unbeaten. With wins over Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan, the Women in Blue finished on top of Group A with six points and a net run rate of +5.471.- EndsPublished By: sabyasachi chowdhuryPublished On: Sep 6, 2026 20:10 IST