All eyes will be on Dubai today as arch-rivals India and Pakistan face off in a highly anticipated match at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, hosted at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan enters this key fixture riding high after an impressive start to their campaign, defeating Sri Lanka by 31 runs on Thursday. India, however, suffered a setback in their opener, losing to New Zealand by 58 runs on Friday.
The clash between these two cricketing giants is part of Group A, which includes Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. Group B comprises England, South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, and Scotland.
Pakistan’s captain, Fatima Sana, is confident her team can carry their winning momentum into the match against India. “The one who plays better on the day wins the match,” said Sana. “We will aim to maintain the momentum we’ve built.”
Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues emphasized the importance of focus. “Every game is crucial for us,” said Rodrigues. “We’re taking it one game at a time, sticking to our processes and doing our job well. If we play our best cricket, we can win matches.”
The match is set to start at 3:00 p.m. local time, with fans eager to witness this historic rivalry play out on the global stage.
SQUADS:
Pakistan: Fatima Sana (c), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan. Traveling reserve: Najiha Alvi (wk). Non-traveling reserves: Rameen Shamim, Umm-e-Hani.
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia (subject to fitness), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan. Traveling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor. Non-traveling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra.
