Jemimah Rodrigues opens up about pressure of India-Pakistan encounters
What's the story
Ahead of India's ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 opener against Pakistan, star batter Jemimah Rodrigues has opened up about the unique pressure of an Indo-Pak clash. The match will be played in Birmingham on Sunday. Rodrigues said that the rivalry comes with expectations like no other game and recalled advice given to her before her first encounter with Pakistan.
Team guidance
Harmanpreet Kaur and Rodrigues's building watchman spoke about the pressure
Recalling her first India-Pakistan game, Rodrigues said, "In the dressing room, Harman di actually spoke to us, saying, 'Let's not deny it. There is pressure from the outside because we know the history of India versus Pakistan. We know what the fans expect.'" She further added that even her building watchman said "Lose to anyone, but not against Pakistan," highlighting how much people love cricket and this rivalry in particular.
Championship goal
Visualization has become an important part of India's routine
Despite the pressure of the India-Pakistan clash, Rodrigues said that the Indian team is focused on winning its first Women's T20 World Cup title. She revealed that visualization has become an important part of their routine. "Lifting that trophy! This morning, we visualized it. We do that as a team," she said, adding it's a part of their process where they visualize together because they believe seeing something long enough leads to moving in that direction.
Pressure management
Indian team has been preparing to handle pressure
Rodrigues also said that the Indian team has been preparing to handle pressure by creating tough situations in practice and learning from their recent defeats. Head coach Amol Muzumdar also stressed on not getting too caught up with individual opponents, saying composure will be key in this format of the game. The balanced Indian squad is looking for a strong start against Pakistan with openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma expected to fire on all cylinders.
Match history
India have a dominant record against Pakistan in T20Is
Team India has a dominant 13-3 lead in the shortest format against Pakistan, having last met in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Dubai. The Indian team has been in decent form leading up to this event, beating Australia (2-1) and England (3-2) away from home and thrashing Sri Lanka (5-0) at home. However, they also suffered defeats against South Africa (4-1) and England (2-1) during away series which served as timely wake-up calls.
Batting strength
Indian batting line-up will be led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur
The Indian batting line-up will be led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been in good form with a couple of fifties against South Africa and England. Other key players include Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, and Bharti Fulmali. Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia was India's top scorer against England in the recent three-match series but will look to improve her strike-rate from the current 99.