Harmanpreet reflects on turning pressure into poise in Women's T20 WC opener vs PAK: 'We unnecessarily put pressure on us'

India Women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur revealed that the batter had initially put themselves under unnecessary pressure while batting first against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday.

The Indian cricket team secured a dominant 68-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, beginning their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign brilliantly.

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana showcased fine form with a fluent 64, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur put up a steady 35 off 35 balls. Richa Ghosh’s explosive 34 off just 17 balls powered the Women in Blue to a commanding total of 170/6.

Pakistan’s batting line-up crumbled during the chase, with only Muneeba Ali offering resistance through a fighting 41 off 35 balls. The rest failed to deliver, and they were eventually dismissed for 106 in the 17th over.

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Harmanpreet: 'We got what we wanted'

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Harmanpreet expressed that she and Mandhana eventually gained control of the game while batting and steered the innings towards the outcome they wanted.

"I think it was a decent pitch, but I think initially we unnecessarily put pressure on ourselves. But after that, when Smriti and I were batting, we tried to control the game, and then we got what we wanted," The Indian captain said.

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Harmanpreet also heaped praise on Mandhana and Deepti for rising to the occasion, acknowledging that "they're always there to push the team" and is "really happy the way they both played today."

Harmanpreet delighted with Team India's fielding

India Women started the second innings shakily but eventually gained momentum as the match went on. Harmanpreet stressed that committing to every ball and holding onto catches is the key to winning matches, which helped the team deliver a strong performance.

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"Cricket is a game of, if you catch every ball, if you take all the catches, you always win matches. And I think that's what happened while fielding. We wanted to give ourselves to every ball and are really happy with the way we fielded and overall game," the India captain added.

Team India will now travel to Leeds for their second Women’s World Cup group-stage clash against the Netherlands on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.