“To Have the First Game as India–Pakistan is Good” – Smriti Mandhana Ahead of World Cup Opener

Smriti_Mandhana
Smriti_Mandhana (PC: BCCI Women/X)

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana believes beginning their World Cup campaign against Pakistan could help the team quickly adapt to the pressure and atmosphere of a global tournament.

Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the much-anticipated clash on 14 June, Mandhana said that the opening fixture would give the players an opportunity to experience the intensity of a World Cup crowd from the very start.

“To have the first game as India–Pakistan is good,” she said. Mandhana emphasised that playing in front of a packed stadium early in the tournament would help the squad settle into the occasion and prepare for the challenges that lie ahead. “All the girls will experience the crowd first-hand in the first game, so that will, more than off your back, I just feel it will make everyone used to the crowd going ahead in the different other matches.”

She added that exposure to such an atmosphere in the opening game could benefit the team as the tournament progresses. “They will be more used to the crowd and the kind of atmosphere. So yeah, again, to have the first game as India–Pakistan is good.”

India enter the World Cup after a mixed run of results in the lead-up to the tournament. They registered a victory over the West Indies in a warm-up match but were beaten by England in another practice game. 

The Women in Blue also suffered a 2–1 defeat in the T20I series against England right before the World Cup. Despite those setbacks, the India–Pakistan encounter offers a fresh opportunity for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side to make a strong start on cricket’s biggest stage.

Follow REVSPORTZ for more updates. 

The post “To Have the First Game as India–Pakistan is Good” – Smriti Mandhana Ahead of World Cup Opener appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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