‘Play fearless cricket, target of 120 won’t be enough’:Naseer Hussain warns Pakistan, India ahead of high-profile clash in Women’s T20 WC 2026

Before the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan in the Women’s T20 World Cup, former England captain Nasser Hussain has called Team India the strong favourites to win. During the JioStar Media Day, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup expert warns Pakistan and India ahead of the high-profile clash. He mentioned they will have to play fearless cricket, rising above their usual level, to defeat a strong team like India. Meanwhile, for India, this match will be crucial not just for a win, but also in terms of a better net run rate. Hussain glorifies Indian bowling attack ahead of high-profile clash Former English captain believes that Pakistan recently played a good series against Zimbabwe. In that series, a significant improvement was seen in the strike rate of Pakistani batsmen, and it went quite high. But with all due respect to Zimbabwe, it must be understood that their bowling attack is not as strong as the Indian bowling attack. Therefore, Pakistan will have to change its strategy against India. It is impossible to defeat India with normal play According to Hussain, “If the Pakistan team plays only at its normal level against India, the Indian team will prove to be too strong for them. Not only Pakistan, but any team needs to play significantly above its normal level to defeat other big teams in the tournament like England, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Australia.” Playing defensively won’t work, a target of 120 runs is not enough Naseer Hussain said, “Pakistan’s team cannot play fearful or cautious cricket in this match. If the Pakistani team bats first and scores only a modest total of around 120 runs, the Indian team will achieve this target very easily.” “Therefore, for a big upset, Pakistan will have to play fearlessly, and they should have players who can take to the field with this mindset,” he concluded further. Pakistan must adopt a strategy to put India under pressure To win the match, Pakistan will have to put some pressure on the Indian team right from the start. Everyone knows that Indian players are playing for the country, and in this group, they are now under immense pressure of expectations. Pakistan will have to try to take advantage of this pressure. India in the group of death with Australia and South Africa The Indian team is in a group that also includes two other very strong teams like South Africa and Australia. Considering this tough group, this match against Pakistan becomes a must-win (a match to be won at all costs) for India. India will not only have to win this match but also keep their net run rate much better to make the path ahead easier. Chance to surprise India in the opening match If the Pakistan team surprises the Indian team a bit in their very first match of the tournament and puts early pressure on them, the Indian team might be pushed onto the back foot. In such a situation, India will be forced to think that they cannot lose this match, as they still have to face dangerous teams like South Africa and Australia later on. However, experts clarified that despite all this, India remains their favorite choice to win the match.