Ind W vs Pak W: Huge Blow for India as Smriti Mandhana got finger Injury, likely to be ruled out of India vs Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup 2023

Ind W vs Pak W: The ICC Women's T20 World Cup gets underway on Friday in Cape Town with a matchup between hosts South Africa and Sri Lanka. On Sunday (February 12), India will battle their arch-rival Pakistan. Meanwhile, current sources report that Smriti Mandhana would be ruled out of the match against Pakistan owing to a finger injury.

The India Women's Cricket Team has been dealt a major setback before meeting Pakistan in the tournament. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was hurt during the warm-up match, but the team's management anticipated she would be back in time for iconic India vs. Pakistan clash.

The 26-year-old opener got her left middle finger injured while fielding during a warm-up match against Australia on Monday. Instead of starting at the top of the order as she usually does against Australia, the southpaw batted at number three. She only lasted three balls in that inning. As a result, Mandhana was therefore unable to feature in India's second practice match against Bangladesh on Wednesday.

It's also uncertain how fit skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will be. She suffered a shoulder injury during the Tri-Series final against South Africa last week. According to media sources, opener Smriti Mandhana was supposed to lead the Women in Blue in Harmanpreet Kaur's absence. Her injuries, though, might cause the plans to fall through.

The opening match of the World Cup features hosts South Africa against Sri Lanka on February 10. After being placed in the same group with England, the West Indies, Ireland, and Pakistan, India will then face Pakistan in their first match.

This time, Team India appears to be a strong candidate for the championship, thus losing two of their key players could cause significant issues for the team management. Despite having a strong bench, it will be fascinating to see if the squad can operate without the two players for longer than the first game.

READ: ICC Women?s T20 World Cup 2023 Schedule, Fixture, full Squads, Groups, Venues, Timing, Streaming and all you need to know

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