‘More about emotions’: Smriti Mandhana talks about IND vs PAK clash ahead of T20WC

New Delhi: Team India will open their Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against New Zealand on October 4 at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. The Blue in Blue have been drawn in Group A alongside defending champions Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

South Africa, Bangladesh, England, West Indies and Scotland are in Group B. During the group stage, each team will play four matches and the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.

After the first match against New Zealand, India will face Pakistan on October 6 and Sri Lanka on October 9 in Dubai. Team India will face Australia in their final group stage match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on October 13.

BCCI has announced a 15-member squad for this tournament to be held in August. Harmanpreet Kaur led the team while Smriti Mandhana was chosen as the vice-captain. The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Bangladesh but was shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to political tensions. While the Women’s T20 World Cup will begin on October 3, the final match will be held on October 20 in Dubai.

Every game is crucial in World Cup: Smriti Mandhana

Team India Vice Captain Smriti Mandhana said that every game is important in the World Cup and the players have to perform 100 percent in every match. “Every game is important in the World Cup, and you have to give your 100 per cent in everything. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are strong teams, but with Australia, you know you can’t make mistakes,” said Smriti Mandhana.

Mandhana further spoke about the India-Pakistan rivalry and said that while the match is all about the emotions of the fans, the players put in the same effort in every game.
“I think the India-Pakistan rivalry is more about the emotions of the fans than anything else. It’s not that players don’t talk to each other; “It will be intense because of the emotions coming from both the countries,” Mandhana said.

Mandhana also spoke about the challenging conditions in the UAE and said that afternoon matches can be challenging for the players but there are no excuses when you are playing for the country.