In one of the fiercest rivalries in the Women's T20 World Cup group stage, India Women will face Pakistan Women on Sunday at Edgbaston. Both teams, kicking off their campaign, would want to have a strong start to gain confidence in the tournament. India go into the tournament with confidence, having a batting unit that is packed with experience, depth, and match-winning talent. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been in exceptional touch throughout 2026. The brilliant batter has been the team's most consistent performer in T20Is this year, providing stability at crucial times.

Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues also solidify the batting attack, both of whom have contributed significantly during the year. However, there will also be focus on Smriti Mandhana, who is looking to find her best form after a difficult series against England. Meanwhile, India's bowling attack could also prove to be the difference-maker. Renuka Singh Thakur will lead the attack, being backed by other bowlers. Moreover, the experience of Deepti Sharma will be quite useful. She is taking part in her fifth T20 World Cup.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will begin their campaign at the World Cup amid a period of transition. Young all-rounder Fatima Sana has been handed leadership responsibilities. Former captain Nida Dar has been left out. Fatima however has been impressive. She has enjoyed a remarkable year with the bat, becoming Pakistan's leading run scorer in T20 internationals in 2026. Her tenure as captain also began positively, guiding Pakistan to comprehensive series victories against Zimbabwe in both ODI and T20 formats.

In the batting department, opener Muneeba Ali and experienced all-rounder Aliya Riaz have been brilliant. Pakistan's batting unit has often struggled for firepower in the middle overs, making the contributions of openers highly important. Players like Gull Feroza, Eyman Fatima and Natalia Pervaiz will need to step up to support other players.

Head-to-head

Matches - 16

IND-W won - 13

PAK-W won - 3

IND likely XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh

PAK likely XI: Muneeba Ali (wk), Gull Feroza, Ayehsha Zafar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Iram Javed, Natalia Pervaiz, Tuba Hassan, Daina Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal