India vs Pakistan: Politics and Tension Overshadow Women’s World Cup Clash (File Image)
India vs Pakistan: In the Women's World Cup, India and Pakistan match will be played at the R. Premdasa Stadium of Colombo on Sunday. But the discussion is not just about cricket. In Asia Cup 2025 India's men's team defeated Pakistan three times in a row, but the center of discussion was not game but the attitude of the players and trophy controversy. After the final match, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to take the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi. Later Suryakumar said that this decision was of the entire team and there was no external pressure on it.
After the Pahalgam attack, tension between India and Pakistan has been increasing. In such a situation, the match of the Women's World Cup is no longer limited to sports, but it also seems to be shared on politics. Women's cricket was still far away from this political vibe, but this time the situation looks different. The Indian team has made it clear that they will not shake hands with the Pakistan team after the match- just as the men's team did during the Asia Cup. At that time, the talks between the players were conducted through television presenters.
The memories of the 2022 World Cup are still fresh when Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof came on the field with her younger daughter, Fatima. The Indian players had shown immense affinity at that time—Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur and other players were seen playing with Bismah's daughter. But now the atmosphere has completely changed. The relationship between the two teams has become so cold that even normal greetings have become rare.
Despite the stress, both teams are trying to focus on Sunday's match. When a journalist raised a political question in the press conference of the Indian team, the media coordinator immediately interfered and stopped the question. The same appeal was made by Pakistan that journalists should not ask questions on politics or handshake controversy. Captain Fatima Sana, recalling the old memories, said that she wants to retain the spirit of the game like 2022 and maintain a respectable relationship with opponents.
Talking about cricket, India has dominated India and Pakistan in the women's ODI matches so far. Since 2005, there have been 11 matches between the two teams - India have won all. Recently, Pakistan's seven-wicket defeat against Bangladesh has highlighted the weaknesses of their batting order. At the same time, India returned to the top position in the points table by defeating Sri Lanka. Fatima Sana, however, is full of confidence. She said, "The records are made only to break.
Colombo pitch is considered favorable for batsmen, but fast bowlers may get the benefit of swing in the initial overs. Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma are the key players of Team India. At the same time, Fatima Sana and Diana Baig can play an important role for Pakistan.
India-Pakistan matches have always been a symbol of emotions and competition. This time the challenge is also out of the field—where players have to preserve the soul of the game amidst politics, pressure and disputes. Fans on both sides hope that when the two teams step on the field Sunday, cricket will triumph over controversy, and the only victory will be that of true sportsmanship.
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