Big Blow for Indian Women's Team as Smriti Mandhana Likely to be Ruled out of India vs Pakistan Women's T20 World Cup 2023 Clash

BCCI Women

Smriti Mandhana, the vice captain of India, is not expected to play in the opening match of the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup against Pakistan on Sunday because she has not yet fully recovered from a finger injury she sustained in a warm-up game. Injuring her left middle finger while fielding during the Monday exhibition game versus Australia, the 26-year-old starter.

“She suffered an injury in the practice game. We can’t say she is out of World Cup yet. But she could miss the Pakistan game,” an ICC source told PTI.

Against Australia, the southpaw batted at number three instead of the opening spot. She only lasted three balls in an inning. As a result, Mandhana was unable to play in India's second exhibition match against Bangladesh on Wednesday. The health of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is also under question. She suffered a shoulder injury during the Tri-Series championship game against South Africa last week.

“Body is fine. It will get better with rest,” Kaur had said after the final.

Over the last two years, Mandhana has been a standout performer in the T20 World Cup. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, she was the leading run-scorer for India, with an impressive average of 46 and a strike rate of 138. She also amassed 235 runs in just 5 innings, with her highest score being an unbeaten 83. Similarly, in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Mandhana continued her rich vein of form and was once again one of the most consistent performers for India. She scored 228 runs in just 6 innings at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 144. With her ability to score runs quickly, she provided the Indian team with a much-needed boost in the middle order.

Therefore, Mandhana's absence from the first match against Pakistan is a big loss for the Indian team, and they will need to find a way to compensate for her absence. With her explosive batting and solid technique, she has been a key player in India's T20 World Cup campaigns over the last two years, and it will be a tough task for the team to overcome her absence. The "Women in Blue" are grouped in Group B with England, Pakistan, the West Indies, and Ireland.