India could not have scripted a more satisfying start to their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign. In a fixture that always carries extra emotion, extra scrutiny and extra pressure, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side delivered a statement performance, crushing arch-rivals Pakistan by 64 runs in Birmingham.
After being asked to bat first, India recovered from an early wobble to post 170/6, thanks largely to a magnificent innings from Smriti Mandhana. Shafali Verma launched the tournament with a six but departed for 6(5), while Jemimah Rodrigues fell for 1(7), leaving India at 18/2. What followed was a masterclass in rebuilding and acceleration. Mandhana and Harmanpreet stitched together a vital 91-run stand that shifted the momentum firmly in India’s favour.
Mandhana was sublime, racing to 68(44) with 9 fours and 2 sixes, bringing up her half-century in just 34 balls. Harmanpreet played the anchor’s role with a composed 36(35), absorbing pressure before Richa Ghosh exploded at the death with a blistering 34(17), striking 5 fours and a six. Deepti Sharma’s unbeaten 12*(9) ensured India finished strongly, while Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow despite two wickets each for Fatima Sana (2/33) and Sadia Iqbal (2/41).
For a brief moment, Pakistan threatened to make a contest of the chase. Muneeba Ali looked positive from the outset, finding boundaries regularly during her 41(35), while Gull Feroza’s 12(9) and Ayesha Zafar’s 12(8) helped Pakistan surge to 52/1 at the end of the powerplay. With India searching for a breakthrough, the game was delicately poised. But this rivalry has often turned on moments, and this one turned on Deepti Sharma.
The experienced all-rounder produced a spell that completely shattered Pakistan’s chase, removing Gull Feroza, Ayesha Zafar, Aliya Riaz 18(17), Nashra Sandhu 4(5) and Tasmia Rubab for a duck to finish with extraordinary figures of 5/10 in four overs. Every time Pakistan looked for a partnership, Deepti found a way through.
If Deepti broke the chase, Shree Charani made sure there was no way back. The left-arm spinner claimed 3/21, dismissing Saira Jabeen 2(3), Natalia Pervaiz 7(13) and Rameen Shamim 4(6), while Shafali Verma chipped in with the wicket of Pakistan captain Fatima Sana for 0(3). Equally important was Shreyanka Patil’s disciplined 0/17 from three overs, quietly building pressure and drying up scoring opportunities. Pakistan collapsed from a promising 52/1 to 106 all out in 17 overs, with only Muneeba and Aliya Riaz reaching notable scores.
On a night when emotions were always going to run high, India answered every question in the most emphatic way possible by completely outclassing their oldest rivals and announcing themselves as serious contenders for the trophy.
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