India Predicted Playing 11 vs Pakistan for Match 7 of Women's T20 World Cup 2024
Team India will lock horns with Pakistan in their second 2024 Women's T20 World Cup match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 6. The Women in Blue are under serious pressure and desperately need a win.
After their opening defeat to New Zealand, India find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table with the worst net run rate in Group A. Pakistan secured a promising victory over Sri Lanka in their first contest of the league stage. If Harmanpreet Kaur and company slip up again, their campaign will be as good as done.
India's squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan Sajana.
On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for Match 7 of the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup against Pakistan.
Openers: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana
India's opening combination is unlikely to go through any changes, although both Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma didn't cover themselves in glory against New Zealand. While Mandhana found long-off to perfection, Verma chipped one back to the bowler early on. The duo will need to get going on Sunday.
Middle order: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma
India have settled on having Harmanpreet Kaur at No. 3, and while that seems far from ideal on paper, they are likely to stick with it for now. Jemimah Rodrigues could come in at No. 4 again, with her presence being key against Pakistan's spinners.
India could be tempted to pick an additional batter in Yastika Bhatia, with their lineup currently featuring the unconvincing Deepti Sharma at No. 6. However, with Yastika playing only one of their two warmup games and the lack of a clear swap, they might not pull the trigger easily.
Richa Ghosh, who looked off-color against the White Ferns, will need to step up. The same goes for Deepti, who was poor with both bat and ball in the previous encounter.
Lower order: Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Singh Thakur
Arundhati Reddy is perhaps the most expendable of India's bowling attack but was one of the better bowlers in the previous game and is unlikely to go out for Yastika. Pooja Vastrakar and Renuka Singh Thakur will partner her in the pace attack.
Asha Sobhana was the pick of the Indian bowlers against New Zealand and will be expected to turn in another good display on Sunday. Shreyanka Patil, meanwhile, will be one of the team's frontline bowlers through the middle overs and at the death.
Radha Yadav could thus be sidelined once again.