Birmingham, June 15 (IANS) India’s off-spin bowling all‑rounder Shreyanka Patil admitted there were ‘a couple of missed chances’ in the field, but said Deepti Sharma’s career-best figures of 5-10 compensated for it, as the side registered a commanding 64‑run victory over Pakistan in their 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup opener at Edgbaston.

In the match, Shreyanka had registered the figures of 0-17, including a tidy opening over where she got enough turn and bounce. She could have got the wicket of Muneeba Ali in the powerplay if not for her being dropped twice. Shreyanka, though, produced a stunning moment by diving to her right and took a wonderful catch of Rameen Shamim at backward point.

“I’ve always enjoyed bowling in the powerplay, whether it’s for my state team or for India. It’s amazing to bowl under pressure because that’s what I love doing, and it’s something I’ve successfully done in the past. It was fun bowling to a left‑hander. We had a couple of missed chances, but Deepti’s five‑wicket haul made up for it all,” said Shreyanka on JioStar.

The huge win also meant India now have a healthy net run rate of 3.20. “It’s a great win for us to start the tournament, and we did so with a convincing margin. We know that Australia and South Africa are top teams as well. It’s a World Cup, and you never know; anything can happen. So, you have to be at your best on the given day, and if you do everything right, you’ll end up on the winning side,” added Shreyanka.

She also opened up about her extended time on the sidelines due to injury between 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups, saying the mental battle was as tough as the physical one. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t depressed or that I didn’t think about giving up cricket. That’s how I felt initially during the injury phase. But there was a voice inside me saying, ‘No matter what, I love playing this sport. I’m here only because I love playing it.’

“So, I couldn’t give up on something I love doing. I kept my head high, my dad kept talking to me, and my family supported me throughout. The atmosphere around me and the strong support system I had, I was always surrounded by great people. That kept me going. I love being back on the field now, and I won’t let that feeling go,” concluded Shreyanka.

–IANS

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