'We will be mentally prepared': Smriti Mandhana on India's 'emotional rivalry' with Pakistan in World Cup

India's star cricketer Smriti Mandhana highlighted emotional attachment to India vs Pakistan cricket games ahead of their ICC Women's T20 World Cup meeting. The Women in Blue will begin their campaign against New Zealand on October 4 and are also scheduled to face their rivals Australia and Pakistan in the group A fixtures starting on October 3 in the UAE.

Harmanpreet Kaur's side will take on the six-time champion and clear favourites Australia in their last league fixture on October 13 in Sharjah. India are tipped as the closest rival to Australia for the title battle and Mandhana said India cant afford any mistakes against Alyssa Healy's side.

"Every game in the World Cup is important, and you have to give your 100 per cent in each one," Smriti Mandhana said. "New Zealand and Sri Lanka are strong teams, but with Australia, you know you can't afford to make mistakes.

"You have to bring your best game on that particular day to get the better of them. There's always excitement when facing Australia because they're such a good team, and beating them is a great challenge."

The Indian vice-captain also shared her thoughts on facing Pakistan on October 6 in Dubai and revealed how both teams are emotionally attached to the iconic rivalry. India will get only one day after the New Zealand game to prepare for Pakistan's challenge but the star batter assured that they will be mentally ready for the rival fixtures.

"I think the India-Pakistan rivalry is more about the emotions of the fans than anything else. It's not like the players don't talk to each other; it's the emotions from both nations that make it so intense," Mandhana added further. "For me, every World Cup match is special, and we put the same amount of effort into each game.

"But there's definitely a lot of emotion attached to the India-Pakistan games. By the time we face Pakistan, I'm sure we'll be ready. Mentally, we need to stay strong and keep pushing, staying hydrated is key."

India's schedule for ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024