CAPE TOWN – Indian women defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 7 wickets in the T20 World Cup opener, courtesy of Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh.
Indian all-rounder Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh helped women in blue to a seven-wicket victory over Women in Green in the Group B match at Newlands in Cape Town.
Pakistan opted to bat first and lost top players within power play but a half-ton from Bismah Maroof and an unbeaten knock of 43* runs from Ayesha Naseem, pushed Pakistan to reach 149 in limited overs.
https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1624776568227917824
India also suffered the early blow of Yastika Bhatia, and later Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur returned, and then Jemimah came who played an unbeaten partnership with Richa Ghosh.
Rodrigues registered her ninth T20I half-ton off 38 balls, to bag the maiden game with an over to spare. Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu got two scalps.
The two sides locked horns in 13 s T20 internationals in over last decade with India holding a 10-3 winning advantage. In the last match in the 2022 Asia Cup, Pakistan bagged the much hyped game and now Team India is out to avenge that loss.
Our playing XI for today's match 🇵🇰#BackOurGirls | #INDvPAK | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/TnUPcePXk0
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 12, 2023
Tem Green eye to secure a semi-final berth for the first time in the Women’s T20 World Cup this time.
Bismah Maroof leads the side in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the second time, after captaining the side in the previous edition held in Australia in 2020.
Squads
PAKISTAN: Bismah Maroof (c), Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nida Dar, Ayesha Naseem, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Sidra Amin, Aiman Anwer, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.
INDIA: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodiguez, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh.
