India commenced their ICC Women's T20 World Cup journey with a commanding 64-run victory over Pakistan at Edgbaston. Smriti Mandhana shone with the bat, scoring 64 off 44 balls, leading India to a formidable total of 170-6, setting Pakistan a challenging target of 171 for victory.

Despite a promising start in the powerplay, where Pakistan achieved their best-ever T20 performance, they ultimately faltered, collapsing to 106 all out in just 17 overs. Deepti Sharma was the standout bowler, claiming 5 wickets for 10 runs and sealing the win with three wickets in the final over.

Key moments of the match included:

• A crucial 91-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
• Late fireworks from Richa Ghosh, who scored 23 runs in the penultimate over.

India's captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, expressed satisfaction with her team's performance, acknowledging the contributions of Smriti and Deepti, stating, "Whenever we need Smriti and Deepti, they are always there to push the team."

On the other hand, Pakistan's captain Fatima Sana admitted disappointment in her team's batting, highlighting the need for improvement in upcoming matches. She noted, "Catches win matches. Unfortunately, those who dropped the catches were senior players."

Player of the match, Deepti Sharma, reflected on her performance, emphasizing her confidence and ability to adapt to the pitch conditions. "I like ICC tournaments. I picked up right where I left off," she stated.

Both teams are set to return to action on Wednesday, with India facing the Netherlands at Headingley.