‘You lose to anyone, but not Pakistan’: Jemima Rodriguez ahead of IND vs PAK Women’s T20 World Cup opener

New Delhi: India batsman Jemima Rodriguez spoke about the unique pressure surrounding the clash between India and Pakistan ahead of the two teams’ opening match in the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup at the ICC in Birmingham on Sunday.She said that the rivalry carries expectations unlike any other match, and recalled the advice the team received before its first meeting against Pakistan.

“I remember when I played my first match between India and Pakistan. In the dressing room, Harman spoke to us and said, ‘Let’s not deny it. There is pressure from outside because we know the history of the confrontation between India and Pakistan. We know what the fans expect,'” Rodriguez told JoiStar, as quoted by news agency IANS.“Even the guard of my building says: Lose to anyone, but not to Pakistan.” This is the kind of pressure because people love cricket. “They love this rivalry.”Despite the excitement and pressure surrounding the competition, Rodriguez said the Indian team is focused on winning its first Women’s T20 World Cup title. She revealed that visualization has become an important part of the team’s routine.“Raising that cup! This morning, we envisioned it. We’re doing it as a team.

“It’s part of our normal process, where we sit together and visualize because we believe that if you see something long enough, you start moving in that direction,” she said.“This is our team motto. We did it during the 2025 World Cup. Mr. Amol has assured us to do it here as well, and we will continue to do so.”Rodriguez said that India worked to deal with the pressure by creating difficult situations during training sessions and learning from their recent defeats.Coach Amol Muzumdar also urged the team not to focus too much on individual opponents, saying composure would be crucial in the shortest format of the match.