India women stare down World Cup curse again

India's senior off-spin bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma stressed the significance of a strong opening performance before the Women's ODI World Cup match against co-hosts Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the ACA Stadium. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led squad seeks its first senior World Cup title after finishing as runners-up in both 2005 and 2017. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana emphasized the team's focus on internal processes rather than external pressure, and she noted their strong performance over the past 12 months. The eight-team tournament features semifinals on October 29 and 30, and the final takes place on November 2.