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Who said No. 18 retired?': Smriti Mandhana carries on Virat Kohli's job of tormenting Pakistan at T20 World Cup originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Smriti Mandhana scored 68 off 44 balls against Pakistan at the Women's T20 World Cup 2026.
- Both Mandhana and Virat Kohli wear jersey No. 18 for India, and both have made a habit of tormenting Pakistan at T20 World Cups.
- Kohli retired from T20Is after the 2024 T20 WC with a staggering T20 WC average of 308 against Pakistan across five innings.
Smriti Mandhana carries on Virat Kohli's job of tormenting Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
India Women's T20 World Cup 2026 opener against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday evening produced a batting display of unmistakably familiar intent. Smriti Mandhana walked to the crease and proceeded to do to Pakistan exactly what India's No. 18 had done for over a decade.
Both Mandhana and Kohli wear jersey No. 18 for India. Kohli retired from T20 internationals after the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, leaving behind a record against Pakistan in the format that most batters would not dare aspire to. Mandhana appears to have studied every page of it.
Mandhana's 68 off 44 balls anchored India's innings at the most critical juncture. She reached her fifty off 34 balls, striking nine fours and two sixes before being caught by Fatima Sana off Rameen Shamim as India pushed toward a competitive total in the closing overs.
MORE:India women's vs Pakistan women's head-to-head record: Who has won more matches in T20Is, ODIs and ICC World Cups?
Kohli's extraordinary record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups
Kohli's record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups is one of cricket's most remarkable statistical feats. In five innings at the marquee event, he averaged 308 against the arch rivals, producing four half-centuries, with his 55 not out in Kolkata in 2016 and 82 not out at the MCG in 2022 the most celebrated.
The most famous of all came at the MCG. India were 31 for four chasing 160 with the game slipping away fast. Kohli hit two sixes off Haris Rauf in the penultimate over and finished 82 not out to seal one of the most celebrated last-ball chases in India-Pakistan T20I history.
India's No. 18 still haunting Pakistan through Mandhana
Mandhana's innings in Birmingham carried the same hallmarks. She looked in complete control from the first delivery, rotating strike with ease before accelerating sharply to reach fifty off 34 balls. Nine boundaries and two sixes were visual proof of a batter who understood exactly what the occasion demanded.
The dismissal for 68 came when Fatima Sana completed the catch at fine leg off Shamim. By then, Mandhana had fully delivered on what the No. 18 shirt demands at this fixture, arriving with clear intent, compiling runs at a relentless rate, and leaving Pakistan with very little to show.
MORE:Explained: Why Virat Kohli is not playing India vs Afghanistan ODI series 2026
What it means: India's No. 18 continues to deliver
Kohli's retirement left many wondering whether Pakistan might finally catch a break when India's No. 18 walked out at a T20 World Cup. Mandhana answered that question comprehensively at Edgbaston on Sunday. Some cricket traditions are not passed down. They simply continue, regardless of who is wearing the number.
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