Previewing Group A of Women's T20 World Cup 2024
We begin our team-by-team look-ahead at the women's T20 World Cup 2024 by focusing on Group A, with Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Despite being defending champions and hat-trick title winners, Australia looks most vulnerable since their 2016 winless run. Their losses include a T20I series in England and home matches against West Indies and South Africa, and having been bowled out twice against India and New Zealand. However, they maintain a strong side and are still predicted as the team to beat.
India enters the championship as one of the favourites, with stellar spinners and consistent performances in the ICC competitions, despite some losses at the knockout stages. They have a reliable opener duo, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, to set the pace of the game. Mandhana's game against spin will be crucial in the UAE.
New Zealand, unfortunately, marches into the World Cup with a ten-match losing streak in T20s. They carry an experienced core with Bates, Devine, Kerr, and Tahuhu. For success, they will look forward to solid performances from emerging players like Georgia Plimmer and Fran Jonas.
Sri Lanka is the most active team over the past year and have considerably improved. They notched up their first wins against New Zealand, England and South Africa, and maintained a better win-loss ratio than Australia and India since April 2023. Their crowning glory was the maiden win of the Asia Cup title.
