Aus Eng and Ind Women T20 WC warm up(Twitter)
The ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup will commence on October 3 with Bangladesh taking on Scotland in Sharjah. The tournament was initially scheduled to take place in Bangladesh but due to political turmoil, the International Cricket Council (ICC) shifted it to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Meanwhile, two groups of five countries each have been created for the mega tournament. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. A total of 20 matches will be played in the league stage, followed by the first semi-final on October 17 in Dubai and the second one on October 20 in Sharjah. The final will be played on October 20 in Dubai.
India will begin their campaign on October 4 against New Zealand while the defending champions Australia will play Sri Lanka in their first match on October 5. Both these four teams are the favourites to win the tournament along with England and South Africa. Sri Lanka recently won the Asia Cup and after which, they will be confident of their success while given Australia’s track record, they always start as favourites.
Here are ten players to watch out for from each team in the upcoming mega tournament:
10. Sarah Bryce, Scotland
Sara Bryce(Twitter)
Scotland batter Sarah Bryce recently scored a half-century against Pakistan in one of the warm-up games. That should give her the confidence to replicate the same against other big teams in the upcoming T20 World Cup. She has represented the national team in 54 T20I matches and scored 1207 runs at a strike rate of 108.44.
The keeper-batter has never featured in a T20 World Cup and so, it would be a new experience for her. She’s expected to play aggressively, like she is known for, and will be looking forward to making a name for herself.
9. Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh
Nigar Sultana (Twitter)
Bangladesh’s captain Nigar Sultana will be key for them in the tournament. She has represented the national team in 99 T20I matches and scored 1944 runs at a strike rate of 90.16. When it comes to T20 World Cups, she has featured in seven games and scored 143 runs.
Sultana scored 48 runs in two warm-up games and needs to take more responsibility. Ahead of the Asia Cup earlier in the year, Bangladesh were confident of their chances but they were disappointing on the field and couldn’t qualify for the finals. Seniors need to take more responsibility, particularly Sultana, who has the tough job of leading the side.
8. Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa
Laura Wolvaardt (SAF). (Photo Source: Twitter)
South Africa’s success in the tournament rests upon the shoulders of Marizzane Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt, particularly the latter. The 25-year-old is the captain of the team and she needs to take responsibility and lead from the front. Laura is an aggressive batter, which is a positive thing but consistency is one area that she needs to excel in.
She has represented South Africa in 72 T20I matches and scored 1765 runs at a strike rate of 115.43. When it comes to the T20 World Cup, she has played 13 matches and scored 340 runs at a strike rate of 111.84. In the last edition of the competition, South Africa qualified for the finals but lost to Australia at home. Hence, she will also carry the baggage and it needs to be seen how Laura manages that and leads the team this time.
7. Omaima Sohail, Pakistan
Omaima Sohail of Pakistan. (Photo by Hannah Peters-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Nida Dar is arguably Pakistan’s greatest ever women’s cricketer but her current form is a matter of concern. Meanwhile, Omaima Sohail has stepped up in the warm-up games and will be crucial for the team in the mega event as well. In the two warm-up matches, Omaima scored 63 runs and picked up one wicket.
The 27-year-old has represented Pakistan in 51 T20I matches and scored 455 runs. She has played in 10 T20 World Cup matches and scored 58 runs, which is not a good thing but now that she has more experience and the form, Omaima will look forward to cash in. She has been good for Pakistan in the middle order and will hope to continue in the same manner.
6. Hayley Matthews, West Indies
Hayley Mathews. (Source -Twitter/X)
West Indies’ Hayley Matthews is currently the number-one ranked T20I all-rounder. She is known for getting the job done time and again but the T20 World Cup 2024 will be a tough task. However, given her form, one can always argue if there’s anything tough for Hayley. She has represented the national team in 96 T20I matches and scored 2339 runs and picked up 99 wickets.
Also Read – This is definitely one of our best squads that we have had at a T20 World Cup: Hayley Matthews
In the recently concluded Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), Matthews made 147 runs in five innings and finished as the second-leading run-scorer of the tournament. She also clinched 11 wickets and finished as the leading wicket-taker. The all-rounder is in remarkable form and is West Indies’ biggest asset.
5. Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka
Chamari Athapaththu. (Source – Sri Lanka Cricket)
Chamari Athapaththu has brought many laurels to the country but an ICC trophy is still pending. The recent Asia Cup win should boost her confidence and the goal will be now to get the job done as captain in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The 34-year-old has represented Sri Lanka in 139 T20I matches and scored 3326 runs at a strike rate of 110.90. He also has 56 wickets to her name in the shortest format.
Chamari is a serial match-winner for Sri Lanka and will be their biggest asset in the tournament. One can also say that Sri Lanka’s success very much depends on how Chamari fares in the marquee event. However, her current form meanwhile is slightly concerning. In the warm-up games against Bangladesh and Scotland, Chamari scored one run each and that’s not a good sign. However, she is an excellent player of spin and can bounce back when the tournament kicks off.
4. Sophie Ecclestone, England
Sophie Ecclestone. (Photo Source: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
England star spinner Sophie Ecclestone can prove to be their biggest match-winner in the turning tracks of UAE. She has represented the national team in 86 T20I matches and picked up 126 wickets at an average of 14.65. Apart from bowling, Ecclestone can be very handy with the bat in the lower order. She isn’t shy of playing big shots and will be crucial for the team.
Notably, she has played 14 T20 World Cup matches for England and picked up 24 wickets at an average of 9.87. The 25-year-old will hope to keep up with the momentum and the conditions in UAE will hugely favour her, more so as the tournament progresses.
3. Amelia Kerr, New Zealand
Amelia Kerr. (Photo Source: MARCO LONGARI/AFP via Getty Images)
Amelia Kerr stepped up in the warm-up games and she would hope to keep up with the momentum when the tournament kicks off. She can be New Zealand’s game-changer, having well accustomed to the conditions. In the two warm-up games, she scored 101 runs and also picked up three wickets. Her form will be crucial for New Zealand, who are in the ‘Group of Death’.
Notably, Kerr has represented New Zealand in 79 T20I matches and scored 1161 runs at a strike rate of 111.10. She has 78 wickets with the ball and will be a vital player for the team as she can give a rapid start for the White Ferns, which is very essential in modern T20 cricket. In her last match against England, Kerr made 64 runs off 46 deliveries but she had very little support from the other end, which is one thing that the team needs to address.
2. Smriti Mandhana, India
Smriti Mandhana. (Source – BCCI)
India have played remarkably well in the recent ICC tournaments but had no success in winning the trophy. There’s immense pressure on them and the seniors need to take more responsibility in the T20 World Cup. One of them is opening batter Smriti Mandhana. She has been on the national team for over a decade now and it’s high time for her to step up and win the tournament.
She is an excellent player of spin, which will be valuable. She has represented India in 141 T20I matches and scored 3493 runs at a strike rate of 122.51. When it comes to the T20 World Cup, Smriti has played 21 matches and scored 449 runs at a strike rate of 118.46. There’s room for improvement and for India to win the tournament, she needs to get better.
1. Ashleigh Gardner, Australia
Ashleigh Gardner (Photo Source: Getty Images)
Australia have a star-studded squad and anyone out of them can be a match-winner for them in the T20 World Cup. However, Ashleigh Gardner stands out as she has the potential to bag the Player of the Series trophy. Be it with the bat or with the ball, Gardner is a serial match-winner and will be a key player for Australia in the tournament.
The 27-year-old has represented Australia in 90 T20I matches and has scored 1380 runs at a strike rate of 128.85. She also has 72 wickets to her name in the shortest format at an average of 20.56. Just like Ecclestone, her bowling in UAE will be vital given the nature of the conditions and with the bat, she can strike hard in the middle overs.
