India begin their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan with plenty of expectations after winning the ODI World Cup last year. One area India will be watching closely is the performance of opening batters Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Both remain among the most dangerous players in women’s cricket, but recent form has been inconsistent. After scoring 82 against Australia in Adelaide, Mandhana’s next six scores were 13, 12, 37, 0, 32 and 8.

Shafali’s returns have also been modest. Following her 64 against South Africa in Johannesburg, she managed scores of 9, 4, 2, 22 and 11 in her next five innings. India know that strong starts often make the difference in T20 cricket. If Mandhana and Shafali can fire together, India could immediately put Pakistan under pressure and provide a platform for the middle order to build on.