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A high voltage match to start a high voltage campaign. Team India will start their 2026 ICC T20 World Cup campaign on June 14, against the arch-rivals Pakistan. Ahead of the match, Jemimah Rodrigues highlights the pressure they have to face from outside for this one rivalry.
Jemimah Rodrigues mentions that even her building watchman asks her to defeat Pakistan. There is no denying that there is a lot of pressure around the India vs Pakistan match. Jemimah Rodrigues, who is now a seasoned campaigner, had faced similar situations multiple times in the past.
India vs Pakistan match at the 2026 World Cup
The ongoing 2026 ICC T20 World Cup has started from June 12, and India and Pakistan will start their campaigns in the tournament on June 14, by facing each other at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
India is the favorite to win the match. On paper, Pakistan is looking far away from the Women in Blue. It is necessary to remember that upsets are also expected in a tournament like the World Cup, where multiple teams run on the track for a single trophy.
Jemimah Rodrigues recalls a conversation with Harmanpreet Kaur
Recalling her first India vs Pakistan match, Jemimah Rodrigues shares his conversation with Harmanpreet Kaur. Rodrigues said that even Kaur stated that there was a lot of pressure from the outside because of the history of rivalry between the two nations. Players are well aware of what the fans want from them as well in the match.
“I remember when I played my first India-Pakistan game. In the dressing room, Harman di (Harmanpreet Kaur) actually speak to us, saying, 'Let's not deny it. There is pressure from the outside because we know the history of India versus Pakistan. We know what the fans expect," Rodrigues told JoiStar, as quoted by news agency IANS.
The star batter told about the building watchman who urged Jemimah Rodrigues to must defeat Pakistan. Rodrigues understands that the watchman and the other Indian cricket fans also want a say because they love the rivalry.
'Lose to anyone, but not against Pakistan'
“Even my building watchman says, 'Lose to anyone, but not against Pakistan.' That is the kind of pressure because people love cricket. They love this rivalry,” she said.
More than winning a single match against Pakistan, it is important to win the entire tournament and lift the trophy. Jemimah Rodrigues claims that they have been dreaming about the moment when they will hoist the trophy. Expectations will be high on the Indian Women’s cricket team as they are the winners of the previous edition of the ODI World Cup.
“Lifting that trophy! This morning, we visualised it. We do that as a team. That is the theme of our team. We did it during the 2025 World Cup. Amol Sir (Amol Muzumdar) has made it a point for us to do it here as well, and we'll continue doing that,” the batter told the media ahead of the India vs Pakistan match.
