India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is likely to miss the Women’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan on Sunday as she is yet to recover from a finger injury she suffered during a warm-up game. The Indian opener Injured her left middle finger while fielding during the Monday exhibition game versus Australia.

“She suffered an injury in the practice game. We can’t say she is out of World Cup yet. But she could miss the Pakistan game,” an ICC source told PTI.

Mandhana has been a standout performer in the T20 World Cup. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, she was the leading run-scorer for India, with an impressive average of 46 and a strike rate of 138. Similarly, in the 2022 T20 World Cup, She scored 228 runs in just 6 innings at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 144. She was mighty impressive for India in both world cups.

It will be a tough task for the team to overcome her absence and the team management must find a way for her replacement in playing 11

T20 World Cup 2023 Begins On 10th February

The 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is the eighth edition of the ICC women’s T20 tournament. It is currently being held in South Africa from 10 to 26 February 2023. Australia is the defending champions. Australia and England are the favorites going into the tournament. India team will look to draw inspiration from the U19 world cup win and try to make a mark in this edition of the T20 World Cup

“The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 is set to begin on 10th February 2023, with Team India set to begin their campaign on 12th February against Pakistan in Cape Town. Team India is in Group 2 with England, West Indies, Pakistan, and Ireland. The top two teams in each group at the end of the group stage will play in the semi-finals. The final will be held on 26th February 2023,” the BCCI said in the media release.