Who is Nashra Sandhu? Meet First Pakistani to Take 6 Wickets in Women's Asia Cup

Who is Nashra Sandhu? Sandhu grabbed the spotlight during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 after producing a historic six-wicket haul against Hong Kong, China. She returned figures of 6/7 in four overs to become the first Pakistani bowler, male or female, to take six wickets in a T20 International, helping Pakistan secure a semi-final spot.

Nashra Sandhu is a Pakistani international cricketer who plays as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for the Pakistan Women’s National Cricket Team. Born in Lahore in 1997, Sandhu has established herself as an important part of Pakistan’s bowling attack across formats.

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Nashra Sandhu became the first Pakistan bowler to claim six wickets in a Women’s T20I during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 fixture against Hong Kong, China. Her remarkable figures of 6/7 from four overs wrecked Hong Kong’s chase of 144 and played a crucial role in Pakistan’s qualification for the semi-finals.

Sandhu was introduced immediately after the Powerplay when Hong Kong, China had reached 28/2. Mariko Hill was dismissed for her third consecutive duck, while Natasha Miles was removed by Sadia Iqbal with the first ball of her spell. Sandhu then broke the resistance provided by Yasmin Daswani and Kary Chan before dismissing Marina Lamplough and Maryam Bibi within four deliveries.

The spell reduced Hong Kong, China to 40/5 and ended any realistic hopes of a successful chase. Sandhu’s 6/7 also became a landmark performance in Pakistan cricket, as no Pakistani bowler had previously taken six wickets in a T20 International.

Nashra Sandhu was born on November 19, 1997, in Lahore. Her performances in domestic cricket helped her earn a place in Pakistan’s squad for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. She made her ODI debut against South Africa in February 2017 and quickly made an impact with her left-arm spin.

Later that year, Sandhu was part of Pakistan’s campaign at the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup in England. She subsequently made her T20I debut in Sharjah in November 2017, beginning her career in the shortest format at the international level.

Sandhu has played an important role in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure and has represented teams including her hometown side, PCB Dynamites and the Strikers. Her consistent performances continued to earn her international selection, including appearances in Pakistan’s bilateral series against the West Indies and England in 2024.

She also represented Pakistan at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, adding further experience at major international tournaments. Her record-breaking performance against Hong Kong, China in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 has now added another major milestone to her career.

Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.