India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup: India Eyes Strong Start Against Rivals

India's T20 World Cup journey begins with a clash against Pakistan in Birmingham. Despite a strong historical record against their rivals, the Indian squad, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, is emphasizing focus. (Photo/IANS)

BENGALURU: The cross-border cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan may have lost some of its unpredictability over the years, with India enjoying overwhelming success in ICC events, but Harmanpreet Kaur and her team know there is little room for complacency when they begin their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday. India enter the Group 1 contest with a commanding 13-3 head-to-head record against the Fatima Sana-led side. But in a demanding pool that also features Australia and South Africa, the ODI world champions can ill afford an early misstep. A winning start could prove crucial in the race for a semifinal berth. Pakistan, meanwhile, arrive with far less preparation. Their T20 series against Zimbabwe last month was their only assignment in the format in more than two years before they travelled to Europe. Defeats to Scotland and Sri Lanka in the warm-up matches have further disrupted their buildup. Even so, India will be wary of underestimating their neighbours in what could be a tricky encounter at Edgbaston. India will hope openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provide a brisk start in the powerplay before Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet and Bharti Fulmali look to build on the platform. The bowling attack, meanwhile, is expected to lean heavily on the spin unit, which could have a decisive role to play in English conditions. Pakistan’s batting will largely depend on captain Fatima Sana and the top-order trio of Muneeba Ali, Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar. Ahead of the campaign opener, India head coach Amol Muzumdar stressed that although the team’s ODI World Cup triumph has given them confidence, the change in format demands a fresh mindset. “It’s a completely different format (T20). Yes, we won the World Cup in ODIs but this is a brand-new format and we are looking forward to it. One thing I can assure you is that we will take a lot from that World Cup into this tournament because we know for a fact that we can cross the line,” Muzumdar said.

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