Indian eves ready to take on arch-rivals Pakistan

India stands as a firm favorite as they take on their arch-rivals Pakistan in the opener of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on Sunday. Despite the absence of star batter Smriti Mandhana, the Women in Blue are confident in their ability to consolidate their position in the first of the four group matches. India currently leads the statistics division, having won four of the six encounters in the previous T20 World Cup and 10 of the 13 duels between the two teams.
Harmanpreet Kaur will be looking to her team for an explosive start and brisk hitting in the middle. In a pre-match conference, India’s batting coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar said, “Harman is fit to play tomorrow. Smriti has got a finger injury, so she’s still recovering. Most likely she won’t play tomorrow. It’s just a finger injury. She’ll be fine for the next game.” Kanitkar further added, “More than heat, the condition of the pitch will be important, as there have been a lot of matches that have taken place here. A lot of T20 cricket has been played, so the pitches might help the spinners.” With the stakes high, the Indian Eves are ready to take on their rivals in a thrilling opener.
The Indian Women’s Cricket team is getting the zing back with the inclusion of Shikha Pandey, who returns to the team after a brief hiatus. “Most of the players have had the privilege of playing against Pakistan in the past, so they know what to expect in terms of atmosphere and the challenges that come with international cricket,” Kanitkar added.
The inclusion of Shikha Pandey in the Indian bowling department has brought renewed energy to the team after a brief hiatus. “Most of the players have previously played against Pakistan, giving them an advantage in understanding the atmosphere and the potential of the match. Playing international cricket is a privilege, and the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a testament to that”.
Pakistan is no pushover, and Bismah Maroof, the skipper of the South African team, is hopeful that the Indian team will put up a brave performance. Pakistan has three new players on the team, each with the stamina and resilience to play at an international level.
The 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is the eighth edition of the tournament and is being held in South Africa from 10 to 26 February 2023. Australia is the defending champions and the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the fixtures for the tournament on 3 October 2022.
The author is a Women’s Cricket Historian and Founder of Indian Sports Fan.