'We'll try to be calm and not take much pressure' - Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana ahead of India clash

Any India-Pakistan match is bound to have an immense volume of emotions attached to it. The rich cricketing heritage of both the nations, the heightened expectations of the supporters, and the political past between the two countries are some of the few factors which make this affair an adrenaline-charged one.

However, Pakistan Women skipper Fatima Sana elucidated that despite the enormity of the occasion, her side will strive their utmost of not letting the occasion get the better of them.

“There is no such pressure. Because there will be a crowd and the atmosphere will be like this, there will be a little pressure on the girls. But we will try to be calm and not take much pressure. When we take pressure, it doesn't go in our favour. We will try to be calm and handle the situation as well as we can,” stated Sana, as quoted by the International Cricket Council.

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A lot of our girls have improved in power-hitting: Sana

Sana also reminisced the most-recent bilateral series which Pakistan played ahead of the mega-event, and recounted on how they have improved significantly in terms aggression shown with the bat.

"If you look at the last series against South Africa, a lot of our girls have improved in power-hitting. In that series, our team hit six sixes in one match. After that, we scored eight sixes. It's a good thing that all the girls are confident in this. Personally, I used to bat a lot before, but I didn't know if I could hit or not. But with that belief now, it's become a lot easier,” added Sana.

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The 22-year-old, who is skippering the national side in a World Cup for the first time, exuded unwavering calmness, first with the bat, and then with the ball, as she led her side to a winning start against Sri Lanka Women. It remains to be seen the manner in which she handles her troops come the game against Pakistan's arch-rivals.