INDIA AND PAKISTAN READY FOR CRUNCH ENCOUNTER AT ICC WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP

Media release

• “First game always sets the tone” – Harmanpreet Kaur

• Fatima Sana backs youngsters in her team ahead of key fixture

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is hoping to build on her side’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 victory as they begin their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on Sunday.

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 T20I 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 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.

“Every year cricket is growing, and every year more people love it, and they want to watch us play more and more. This World Cup is going to be very exciting.”

India lost their pre-tournament series against England and were also beaten by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side in Wednesday’s warm-up game in Cardiff, but Kaur believes the learnings from those outings will strengthen them for the tournament ahead.

As well as the team's own desire to win a first Women’s T20 World Cup trophy, Kaur is well aware of the transformative impact back-to-back tournament triumphs would have on her country.

“If we play good cricket, we will be able to create some good memories here, definitely things are going to change back home, which we saw in the 2025 Cricket World Cup, when we won,” Kaur said.

“After that, we have seen a massive change, many girls are coming to play cricket. Hopefully, what we’re doing will keep motivating them and encouraging them to play.

“It’s good to see how everyone is coming together and trying to take women’s cricket to the next level.”

A win in the Asia Cup in 2022 is Pakistan's only win over India in nine T20I meetings.

But Pakistan’s 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.”

Support from those around her has eased the challenge of leading Pakistan at the young age of 24, allowing her to focus on her all-round cricketing contributions.

Fatima was made skipper in 2024 and has already led the side at the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup 2024 and ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025.

“It is a different feeling because everyone in my team is senior, and they are supporting me,” she said.

“The coaching staff are also supporting me, and it makes my job easy because of them. I just continue to play my cricket, and they help to make my job easy.”

A good turnout is expected at Edgbaston while Pakistan also visit the Hampshire Bowl, Headingley and the Bristol County Ground as the team sitting eighth in the T20I rankings look to make the semi-finals for the first time in their history.

“The England crowd is always very good because they support the cricket and not the opposition, so I believe there will be a lot of the crowd there cheering for us,” Fatima added.