India will begin their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a high-stakes clash against Pakistan on Sunday, aiming to make an early statement in their pursuit of another major ICC title.
Captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, India enter the tournament as one of the favourites after their triumph at last year’s Women’s ODI World Cup. Their recent record against Pakistan also provides confidence, having won 13 of the 16 T20Is played between the two sides. The last World Cup meeting between the neighbours came in Dubai in 2024, where India secured a comfortable six-wicket victory.
India have enjoyed a productive build-up to the tournament, registering series wins over Australia, England and Sri Lanka. Those performances have highlighted the depth and balance
of the squad, although losses against South Africa and England exposed areas that still require improvement.
A key focus will be the opening partnership of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Both batters have shown flashes of brilliance in recent months but have struggled to convert starts into substantial scores consistently. A strong beginning from the pair could set the tone for India’s batting effort.
The middle order, meanwhile, looks settled with Harmanpreet returning to form and players such as Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Bharti Fulmali providing firepower. All-rounder Deepti Sharma will also have a crucial role to play with both bat and ball.
Pakistan, led by all-rounder Fatima Sana, arrive with confidence of their own. Sana has been among the standout performers in women’s cricket over the past year and will spearhead a bowling attack that includes experienced spinner Nashra Sandhu.
There are some clouds around Sana after she suffered a knee injury during the practice session. Pakistan will hope she recovers on time and their disciplined bowling unit can challenge an Indian side chasing a winning start.
