India Women’s cricket team is geared up to continue their outstanding record against Pakistan in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, with Indian Men’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav expressing strong confidence in their ability to achieve a perfect winning streak of 12-0.
Speaking exclusively to JioHotstar ahead of the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash, Yadav emphasized that if the Women in Blue maintain their focus on playing good cricket, extending the unbeaten tally is certain.
He said “Women’s cricket is playing a different brand of cricket from the last 1-2 years as I can see. They are already playing well. But against Pakistan, I think they have been playing some good cricket. If they continue as they have been doing, then I am sure mission 12-0 will happen if we play good cricket and our entire focus will be on cricket.”
He noted a visible transformation in women’s cricket over the last couple of years, with India showcasing impressive skills especially against Pakistan. Yadav stressed that “mission 12-0” is achievable if the team stays committed wholly to the game.
He described rivalry differently, dismissing the India-Pakistan women’s head-to-head dominance as not a true rivalry since India has won all 11 previous matches, emphasizing that a real rivalry demands a more balanced competition.
Yadav also shared his supportive conversation with India’s women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, highlighting the positive camp culture and preparations at the BCCI Centre of Excellence before the World Cup. The way the women’s team is playing their cricket. The way the mood in the camp was, recalling witnessing it all first hand when he was injured a few months back and was at Centre of Excellence BCCI at Bangalore.
A special mention was made for Smriti Mandhana, acknowledging her tremendous batting scores, including a record-breaking 63-ball 125 the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian women’s cricketer. Yadav praised her consistency and the pressure handling ability. He stressed that a team effort alongside star performances would be key to advancing in the tournament.
Yadav mentioned “I am a batsman but I always think that an all-rounder’s role is very important in a team. If an all-rounder can’t do it with a bat, then he/ she gets an opportunity to do it with a ball. So, I feel Deepti Sharma maybe can be an x-factor today with the ball, with the bat.” He emphasizes on Deepti Sharma game-changing potential, tipping her for Player of the Match honours against Pakistan.
Concluding with a message to Indian fans, Suryakumar Yadav called for wholehearted support for the Women in Blue in their quest to win the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time.
(Quotes sourced from JioHotstar show ‘Off the Pitch’)
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