BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan face India in a highly-anticipated match on Sunday as the arch-rival teams launch their campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur is hoping to build on her side’s 50-over ICC World Cup victory last year.
Edgbaston will host the next act in one of cricket’s greatest rivalries, with India coming out best in the two sides’ recent meetings.
India, third in the T20 world rankings, have won all of their last three contests, including a six-wicket win in Dubai in the 2024 edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
“The first game is very important, it always sets the tone,” Kaur said. “We are really looking forward to it, and hopefully, we will play our best.
“Winning the [50-over] World Cup was a great moment for all of us. We were waiting for that moment for so many years, and it’s good to see years of hard work pay off.
“This tournament is equally important, everybody is shaping up well, and hopefully we will play our best cricket,” she added.
A win in the Asia Cup in 2022 is Pakistan’s only victory over India in their nine T20 International meetings.
But Pakistan captain Fatima Sana is backing the youth in her side to come to the fore as they look to start the tournament on a positive note.
“It is about setting the tone, so we will try and win this match, so we have options for different matches,” she said.
“I think we are very hopeful for this tournament because we have some youngsters who have come into the side and proved themselves in the last series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, so I think we have a good combination.”
Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2026