ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023, IND vs PAK: Smriti Mandhana drops big hint if she would play vs Pakistan
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023: India takes on arch-rival in its opening game on Sunday. Ahead of the same, Smriti Mandhana has dropped a significant hint if she will play the fixture.
FollowIndian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana would not like to miss the highly-combustible meeting versus arch-rival Pakistan in Sunday's ICC Women's T20 World Cup opener. She dropped a major hint about her volition on the match's eve by posting her photographs on social media in full cricketing gear. The top-order batter posted four snaps on Twitter and captioned, "Let's go T20WorldCup2023".
There has been a belief that the 26-year-old opener could skip India's opening contest versus Pakistan due to a left middle-finger injury that she sustained while fielding during the warm-up fixture versus Australia earlier this week. An International Cricket Council (ICC) source had verified to PTI that Mandhana had suffered the injury in that practice match.
"We can't say she is out of World Cup yet. But she could miss the Pakistan game," the ICC source sounded. The left-handed Mandhana batted at number three versus Australia rather than her standard opening position. Mandhana, after that, missed India's subsequent warm-up contest versus Bangladesh on Wednesday.
However, on Saturday, Mandhana publicised photos that showed her all geared up with the bat in hand and prepared to don the helmet, hinting that she is all warmed up for the game. Team India has been pitted alongside England, Pakistan, Windies and Ireland in Group B. India comes into the T20WC fixture, losing the contemporary tri-series final to South Africa and the practice match versus Australia before besting Bangladesh.
(With inputs from PTI)
