Women's T20 World Cup: India take on arch-rivals Pakistan in opener

In their bid for a long overdue ICC title, the Indian women's cricket team will look to hit the straps in their Women's T20 World Cup opener against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday.

Despite India being stronger on paper, they will be wary of their opponents who surprised them in the Asia Cup last year with the Women in Blue making one too many experiments back then.

With the game scheduled a day ahead of the inaugural Women's Premier League auction, there will be added motivation for the Indian players. For some, it could be a distraction.

With India's star batter Smriti Mandhana out of the opener due to a finger injury that she picked up while fielding during the warm-up game against Australia earlier this week, all eyes will be on Harmanpreet Kaur to shepherd the Indian batting and guide the team through to victory.

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