Women’s Asia Cup: ‘Focus on cricket, not noise’, Mithali Raj tells India ahead of Pakistan clash

File Pic: Harmanpreet Kaur leads the team. (Getty Images) BENGALURU: With a 137-run win over Hong Kong, India booked their place in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup with a game to spare. However, their latest league outing will be their toughest test yet after seeing off minnows Thailand and Hong Kong in their opening two games.On Saturday in Dubai, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team take on cross-border rivals Pakistan in what could serve as a dress rehearsal ahead of next week’s semi-finals.With India’s middle order still a concern, former India captain Mithali Raj has urged the team to focus on cricket rather than getting consumed by the noise surrounding the rivalry.“Prepare for cricket, not the noise. Understand your role, anticipate what the opposition might do and know how you will react. We can’t control what people say outside, but we can control our preparation, communication and reaction under pressure. A clear role makes it easier to block out the noise,” the former star batsman told TOI.India have dominated Pakistan in T20 cricket, winning 17 of the 20 meetings, but Mithali believes numbers don’t matter once the two sides walk away.“It is an emotional and traditional rivalry. An India vs Pakistan match means a lot to each player. Winning this match is a matter of pride and hence increased pressure on the team to perform,” she said.The 43-year-old sent a message to the Indian team, adding: “At the end of the day, it’s a game of cricket for the players and it’s important to keep calm to do well on the ground. If you focus too much on what it means beyond the boundary, you create unnecessary pressure. The atmosphere and expectations will be different, but once you cross the boundary you have to focus on your role to win the match and the team’s plans are mine.”Mithali also believes that the Asia Cup should be seen as more than a preparation for the upcoming Asian Games, where India will be defending the gold medal they won on their debut in the previous edition.“India, who lost the last edition of the Asia Cup, will be looking to get the title back. I don’t think they will look at this tournament as just a preparation for the Asian Games,” she stressed.For emerging teams in the competition, Mithali feels the tournament offers an important platform to measure their progress against the best.“The Asia Cup allows developing sides to test themselves against the best. The gap in experience and resources is still there, but it is narrowing. With cricket now an Olympic sport and also part of the Asian Games, teams have more platforms to compete on.”“If you look at the recent two World Cups across formats, teams like Pakistan and Bangladesh have shown that they can put top teams under pressure. Tournaments like the Asia Cup are also a good indicator of how much the game has evolved in different countries,” explained Mithali.(Watch ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2026 on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD and Sony LIV)