Who is Nashra Sandhu, the bowler behind the viral death stare to India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur?

During the 22nd over of a recent ODI match, Pakistan’s slow left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu made headlines not only for her bowling but for a tense on-field moment. After playing a dot ball, India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur had sent Sandhu down for a boundary on the previous delivery. In response, Sandhu picked up the ball and made a mock throw in Kaur’s direction, accompanied by a fierce glare — an apparent attempt to unsettle the Indian skipper. Kaur chose not to engage, focusing on her innings despite muttering something under her breath.

At 27, Sandhu has established herself as a mainstay in Pakistan’s bowling lineup. She has featured in 48 One Day Internationals (ODIs), claiming 105 wickets at an average of 27.48, including 43 maidens. Her best ODI bowling figures are 6 for 26 against South Africa, marking the first six-wicket haul by an Asian left-arm spinner in Women’s ODIs.

Performances across formats

Sandhu’s ODI bowling ranking stands at 15, with an all-rounder ranking of 46. She has scored 107 runs at an average of 4.65, with a highest score of 11. In T20 Internationals, she has taken 66 wickets at an average of 21.26, including six maidens and best figures of 4 for 18. She is ranked 8th in T20 bowling and 48th as an all-rounder.

Nashra Sandhu hit-wicket dismissal

During the Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium, Sandhu experienced a rare hit-wicket dismissal. Attempting to play a full-length delivery in the 35th over, she accidentally struck her stumps with her bat during the follow-through. She became the third Pakistani cricketer to be dismissed hit-wicket in a World Cup, joining Misbah-ul-Haq and Imam-ul-Haq.

(With inputs from TOI)