India launched their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign with a commanding 64-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston. Smriti Mandhana anchored the innings with a fluent 64 off 44 balls, steering India to 170-6 after early wickets threatened to derail the chase. Richa Ghosh provided late fireworks, smashing 23 runs in the penultimate over to set a formidable target.

Pakistan's chase began promisingly with 37 runs in the powerplay, but collapsed dramatically under pressure. Deepti Sharma delivered the decisive blow with figures of 5-10, claiming three wickets in the final over to wrap up the win. The Pakistani batting lineup crumbled from 75-3, losing seven wickets for just 31 runs as India's spinners dominated proceedings.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her team's resilience, particularly Mandhana and Sharma's contributions, while acknowledging fielding standards made the difference. Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana admitted her side's batting disappointed and called for improvements in upcoming matches. The political tension between the nations added spice to the fixture, with no pre-match handshake between captains.

Both teams resume action Wednesday, with India meeting Netherlands at Headingley before facing South Africa in Birmingham. This convincing opening win positions India strongly in Group A, while Pakistan must regroup quickly to keep their semi-final hopes alive.