Women’s T20 World Cup: FINAL FRONTIER
The likes of India, England and South Africa will strive to end Australia’s unrivalled dominance in the Women’s T20 World Cup, beginning with a double header in Sharjah on Thursday.
Bangladesh will take on Scotland in the tournament opener in an afternoon fixture followed by a clash between Asian teams Pakistan and Sri Lanka later in the day. Political unrest in Bangladesh forced the International Cricket Council to shift the 10-team event to the UAE back in August.
Australia will be the team to beat once again, having won the last three editions and overall six out of the nine editions staged thus far.
England, India and South Africa have repeatedly shown that the Australian fortress can be breached but when it comes to World Cup events, the team from Down Under remains invincible.
3 India have been runners-up three times — in the 2020 T20 World Cup and the 2005 and 2017 50-over tournaments. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side come into this event ranked third in the world and have reached at least the semifinals of the last three T20 World Cups
6 In eight editions, Australia have won the title six times. They are looking to win their fourth title on the bounce
You don’t come here to defend a title, that’s not what a World Cup is about, you come here to win it, so we’re here with that approach and I’m excited to get underway. Alyssa Healy, Australia captain
With Meg Lanning walking into the sunset following the triumph in South Africa about 18 months ago, Alyssa Healy has been handed captaincy to maintain Australia’s supremacy in global events.
Healy would like to lead from the front but if she is not able to, she can rely on the squad full of match winners including Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris. Witnessing the pace duo of Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown in operation will also be exciting.
A team that always challenges Australia but has hitherto not able to cross the final hurdle is India. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side has lost two big T20 finals to Australia — the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and T20 World Cup in 2020.
India go into the event having not got a lot of game time following their surprising loss to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final. The team has worked extensively on its fitness and fielding, hoping it will make a big difference to its World Cup campaign.
The conditions could favour a spin-heavy India. In the batting department, the onus will be on openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues while Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh will be expected to hit the sixes in the middle and death overs.
Harmanpreet, who has led the team since the 2018 T20 World Cup, will be under tremendous pressure this time around as another loss could bring an end to her captaincy tenure.
England, who won the inaugural edition in 2009 before losing three finals to Australia, will take a lot of confidence from the series win against their main rivals during the Women’s Ashes last year. The pitches in the UAE are expected to favour the spinners, bringing England’s trump card Sophie Ecclestone into play. She will be supported by Sarah Glenn and Charlie Dean.
Veteran Nat-Sciver Brunt will provide the X-factor in the batting department. Opener Maia Bouchier will be one of the World Cup debutants to watch out for.
South Africa rode a wave of home support to make their maiden World Cup final last year. Tasting defeat to Australia in the showpiece in Cape Town, the Proteas have been busy in their preparations to do one better.
The side, now led by Laura Wolvaardt, got its revenge over the reigning champions in Canberra at the beginning of the year.
T20 world cup
Groups
Group A
India, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand
Group B
South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Scotland
Schedule
October 3
Bangladesh vs Scotland
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
October 4
South Africa vs West Indies
India vs New Zealand
October 5
Australia vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh vs England
October 6
India vs Pakistan
West Indies vs Scotland
October 7
England vs South Africa
October 8
Australia vs New Zealand
October 9
South Africa vs Scotland
India vs Sri Lanka
October 10
Bangladesh vs West Indies
October 11
Australia vs Pakistan
October 12
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh vs South Africa
October 13
England vs Scotland
India vs Australia
October 14
Pakistan vs New Zealand
October 15
England vs West Indies
October 17
Semifinal 1
October 18
Semifinal 2
October 20
Final
