IND vs PAK Women’s T20 WC: Nasser Hussain Backs India, Says They’ve Gone 'A Level Or Two Higher'

New Delhi: India will open their 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 14, as one of cricket’s most-watched rivalries takes centre stage in a global women’s tournament. The results, though, have been one‑sided in recent years.

India have won 13 of 16 T20Is against Pakistan, including a six‑wicket victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Dubai. In Women’s T20 World Cup meetings, India lead 6‑2 across eight clashes. All contests have come in global or continental events – the Women’s T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games – with no bilateral series staged in this phase.

Edgbaston’s large South Asian community, with strong Indian and Pakistani representation, is expected to generate intense local interest as both teams begin their campaigns. Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, addressed questions around the big clash as ICC Women's T20 World Cup expert in a JioStar Media Day. Excerpts:-

On how Yastika Bhatia has fared as a number three batter so far

From recent times, what I have seen recently, I actually think the other way round. Yastika, since I have seen her in England, her strike rate is excellent, she is a real boundary hitter, I quite like her at number 3 after the dynamic Shafali and Smriti Mandhana, and then you have Jemimah and Harmanpreet after, who can steady the ship if you need to, or kick on, and then you have Richa Ghosh to even kick on even more.

So I like Yastika at 3, from what I have seen of her in England in particular, she has been smashing it everywhere, she hasn't made that big score, she has been getting like 30 and 20 balls, 30 and 25 deliveries. My only issue is that since her injury and her operation, it was a major operation. She has not been that mobile between the wickets; she has been run out twice in the England bilateral series and then in the field as well.

So that is my only concern, especially if she is batting with Jemimah, for example, and Jemimah is very quick between the wickets, you may just have to keep an eye on that. But I quite like her at 3, and I quite like batting depth that everyone then moves down one, and it gives you a long batting line-up.

Who has the edge in the India-Pakistan clash?

Firstly, there is obviously a great rivalry across any sport between India and Pakistan, but you would say recently in men's and women's cricket, it has not been particularly close, especially in ICC events, and the rivalry has not yet kicked off to the extent that it has in the men's game. But it is still India vs Pakistan, and it is a format that obviously can cause upsets.

We have seen in the warm-up games, and even before that, sides like Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands are playing some very good cricket. India will be confident but obviously wary that it only takes Fatima Sana to come off, have a good day, and they could be in trouble, but if you are asking me a prediction, India will be too strong.

In general, the way Indian women's cricket has grown - 50 over World Cup win, WPL, everything that is happening in women's cricket in India compared to Pakistan cricket, where their players don't play in all the franchise tournaments around the world. So, they have stayed at a level whereas India have jumped at least a level or two if not more.

On the importance of six-hitting to win the competition

Six hitting is absolutely vital. The women's game has changed from a touch game. So, you think of Meg Lanning, a wonderful touch player who stroked the ball to the boundary. One of the greatest I have ever seen, and now you see the power hitters that are around. They just clear the rope and back themselves to hit sixes.

So, whichever team hits the most sixes will probably win the tournament. But also, I always keep an eye on our monitor in the commentary box on the dot ball percentage. There is no point in having five dots and then a six. You are going to run a ball, and that won't win you anything. So, that is another thing that coaches and analysts will keep an eye on.

What is the dot ball percentage of that team? So, the combination of those. That is why running between the wickets is very important. That is why I mentioned Jemimah and the way she runs between the wickets. The good balls are going for one, two, and three, and your bad ball is going for four and six. It is very difficult as an opposition captain to control that. So, yes, six-hitting is vital. But you have got to keep an eye on that dot ball percentage.

On whether Deepti Sharma is an automatic starter in the playing eleven

For me, yes. Going into a big game in a big tournament, I would want Deepti Sharma. You want people to go into battle with you, streetwise people, and Deepti is absolutely that, and I mentioned Smriti Mandhana as well. I saw a question that was relayed to me about what the surprise will be. It's not a surprise, but the two have had quite a few periods recently, and this World Cup has come as a perfect time for them.

It’s because once you're playing in a World Cup, everything else, no one will remember what happened in the bilaterals. No one will remember what happened in South Africa, Australia, whatever. It will be, how did you go in this World Cup? And certain people raise their game for big tournaments, and Deepti Sharma is absolutely that.

She has been out of form since the South Africa series and has gone a long period without getting wickets. Then in the fourth game, she got runs and wickets, and she's done okay against England in the bilaterals. She knows England very well, having played the Hundred here and a lot of games here for India.

So she knows the conditions very well. They may not see it differently, but if you're asking me, my opinion is that I would want Deepti Sharma as one of the first names in a big game. Thinking of a knockout semi-final or a final in a big game, I would want Deepti Sharma to be one of them. But look how she went in the 50-over World Cup, and I would want Deepti on my side.

On what will be the key factor in deciding the winner of the India-Pakistan clash?

Pakistan will have to play above the level they're playing at the moment. They had a good series against Zimbabwe, and their strike rates all went through the roof. But with all respect to Zimbabwe, that attack won't be like the Indian attack. So if Pakistan are just par, and they're par, I'm talking about, then India will be too good.

To beat India and some of those sides, and I'm not just talking about Pakistan or the group - I'm talking about England, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Australia. To beat those sides, you have to play above your par. So they cannot play timid cricket. If you get 120 runs, India are just going to knock that off easily.

So they have to play fearless cricket, and they have to have the cricketers to be able to do that, and they have to put India under a bit of pressure. Everyone knows they're playing for India. The expectation is there now in that group as well. With India being in a group with South Africa and Australia, this is a must-win game, and you could argue a must-win game, and make sure your net run rate is good as well, with what might come ahead.

So if you can suddenly, in the first game, catch India a bit cold and put them under a bit of pressure, then India are thinking, ‘Crikey, we can't lose this one. We've still got to play South Africa and Australia.’ Then you never know. But as I said right at the start, I fancy India to win.

On whether India might have to take an extra batter or bowler to compensate for Amanjot Kaur’s absence

Personally, I would play the extra batter. I would pack my batting. I would use Shafali - remember in the 50-over World Cup final, Shafali came in. She wasn't even in the original squad, and then there she is, getting runs and wickets. I would use Shafali as my safety valve bowler, as in the women's game, four of the top six, seven bowlers are spinners.

England have three spinners in the top six. So spin to win in women's cricket, especially T20 cricket. I would play all my spinners, not all of them, but if you're asking me about the balance, a couple of seamers and all my batting. But if you do that, you have to go hard. If you go back to the 50-over World Cup, India at the start had the same problem. They played the extra batter, but were still being a bit cautious.

Then suddenly it clicked, and they went harder, and they backed themselves. Jemimah got that magnificent hundred in the semifinal. Shafali gave them another bowling option in the final. If you are going to go with the extra batter, you have to get an above-par score because you know your bowling's a little bit light. You can't just plod along to par. You have to get an above-par score and play fearless cricket. What I've seen of India on this trip so far, they have done that.

Catch all the action from ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, June 12-July 5, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)