Women’s T20 World Cup awaits another chapter in India- Pakistan rivalry

The neighbours have faced off on six occasions, with Women in Blue having the edge in head-to-head record.

Pooja Vastrakar of India bats during the women's world cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. (AP)

Written by: Kanika Singh

5 min readFeb 12, 2023 11:07 AM IST First published on: Feb 10, 2023 at 08:54 PM IST

Whatever anyone says, an India-Pakistan encounter isn’t ‘just another game’. They’re battles that test not just skills but also the nerves of the players. More than once has the contest between the two in the Women’s T20 World Cup provided a nail-biting finish. Sunday evening’s game could be another treat for fans.

With a superior head-to-head record against the Women in Green in the T20 World Cup, Team India will look to continue their dominance in the fourth match of the 2023 edition at Newlands, Cape Town.

The Indian Express looks back at all the previous clashes between the arch rivals in the Women’s T20 World Cup.

Priyanka Roy’s dexterity with the ball

2009 (India won by five wickets) – In what looked like a rather easy chase, the Women in Blue were struggling at 16-3. That was before Priyanka Roy later fell to Sana Mir in the eighth over.

1st Match, Group B, Bowral, ICC Women’s World Cup Indian players celebrate a wicket Mar 07, 2009. (ICC)

But, opening batter Anjum Chopra kept calm and helped her side overhaul the target. However, the star of the day was Roy, whose 5 for 16 destroyed Pakistan’s line-up. Rumeli Dhar got the ball rolling by bagging three wickets, including top scorer Nain Abidi, before leg-spinner Roy left Pakistan women with no scope of reaching a competitive total, being restricted to 75 runs.

Brief Score- PAK – 75 all out (19.5 overs)
IND – 78/5 (17.4 overs)

Pak’s batting hardships

2010 (India won by nine wickets) – Riding on Roy’s bowling and Poonam Raut’s unbeaten knock of 54, India cruised to a nine-wicket victory over their neighbours. Pakistan put together a score of 104 runs, which couldn’t test the Women in Blue.

Pakistan were five down for 45 within the first 10 overs, three of the wickets taken by Roy, supported by the left-arm spin of Gouher Sultana and the medium-pace of Dhar. Pakistan skipper Sana Mir ensured her side moved past the 100-run mark.

After losing opener Sulakshana Naik at 27, Mithali Raj and Poonam Raut hit a total of nine boundaries and sealed India’s triumph with 20 balls still left.

Brief Score- PAK 104/6 (20 overs)
IND 106/1 (16.4 overs)

The last-ball thriller

2012 – (Pakistan won by one run) – It was a low-scoring thriller. Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first, but only three of their players could get into double digits.

India too struggled with the bat but Jhulan Goswami looked to be guiding the team to victory before she fell for a 24-ball 21. With four required off the last ball, Nagarajan Niranjana was run out as she attempted the third run which could’ve led to a tie.

Brief Score- PAK 98/9 (20 overs)
IND 97/8 (20 overs)

Bowlers’ day at Sylhet

2014 (India Women won by six runs) – Winning the toss, Women in Blue managed 106 runs for the loss of seven wickets, and then restricted Pakistan to only 100. India’s Soniya Dabir, who scalped three wickets conceding only 14 runs, was named the player of the match.

Brief Score – India 106/7 (20 overs)
PAK 100/9 (20 overs)

The downpour distress

2016 Pakistan won by two runs (DLS Method) – A heavy downpour in Delhi and solid play early with the bat helped Pakistan Women recover and eventually register a two-run victory on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) system. They had made a mess of hunting down 97 runs and as the players left the field, Pakistan was 77/6 in 16 overs. But the Delhi weather put an end to India’s hopes of pulling off a heist and dealt a fatal blow to their Women’s World T20 campaign.

Brief Score – IND 96/7 (20 overs)
PAK 77/6 (16 overs)

Ind-Pak bloopers in Guyana

2018 (India won by 7 wickets) – From five dropped catches to being 10 penalty runs for trudging around the danger area of the pitch, the India-Pakistan game was full of drama.

India beat Pakistan in Guayana in the second T20I. (Source: WorldT20/Twitter)

Helped by skipper fifties by Bismah Mahroof and Nida Dar, Women in Green put up a total of 133 runs, which was their best in a World T20 game, but India’s batters made short work of the target.

Mithali struck her 16th T20 half-century and steered India to victory with six balls and seven wickets to spare. She finished off with 56 off 47 balls, which included seven boundaries.

Brief Score – PAK 133/7 (20 overs)
IND 137/3 (19 overs)