Birmingham, June 14 -- A half-century from Smriti Mandhana and late fireworks from Richa Ghosh helped India overcome early setbacks to post 170/6 in 20 overs against arch-rivals Pakistan in both teams' 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup opening match, at Birmingham.

Opting to bat first, India endured a shaky start before Mandhana (68) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (36) combined for a rescue act. While a late cluster of wickets shifted the momentum back toward Pakistan, Richa Ghosh's 17-ball 34 helped India post a solid total.

India's intentions were clear from the opening delivery when Shafali Verma smashed left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal for a six. However, the joy was short-lived as Iqbal took immediate revenge four balls later, inducing an o...