CAPE TOWN: India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana will “likely” miss the team’s Women’s T20 World Cup opener against rivals Pakistan, her coach said on Saturday.
“Smriti has got a finger injury, she is still recovering. Most likely, she won’t play tomorrow,” coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar told a press conference on the eve of Sunday’s game in Cape Town.
He added that it was not a fracture.
“It’s just a finger injury, she will be fine before the next game,” he added.
In their second match, India are due to face West Indies on February 15.
Mandhana suffered the injury in India’s warm-up game against Australia on Monday. She made a duck as India lost by 44 runs. She missed a second warm-up game against Bangladesh on Wednesday.
India have won 10 of their last 13 T20 matches against Pakistan, although they did lose to their neighbors at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh last October.
“As kids, when you’re growing up, you want to be playing World Cups, you want to play against strong teams,” said Kanitkar.
“You want to play against arch rivals, if you can call them that, all these things you look forward to doing.
“And a few of them have done it in the past, a few haven’t. So, they’re looking forward to it. We feel we are totally prepared for whatever happens tomorrow.”
Pakistan sit seventh in the ICC T20 rankings, three places below India, but impressed in their warm-up games by beating Bangladesh and pushing hosts South Africa close.
“I think we all are well-prepared and it’s definitely a big match,” said Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof.
“In such a big World Cup, there is pressure in every match. So, we will embrace it and try to play our best cricket.”
