The 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup is set to get underway in South Africa. As many as 10 teams will compete at the showpiece event. Defending champions Australia alongside the likes of South Africa and India are the favourites.
Australia had routed India in the last Women’s T20 World Cup final in 2022. While that was a one-sided affair, things have changed since then.
Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India have played some solid cricket in the last few months and will fancy their chances in the tournament.
Defeating Australia, five-time ICC Women’s T20 World Cup champions will be a different ballgame altogether. India had also lost to Australia by nine runs in the Commonwealth Games 2022 final.
India’s chances will be largely dependent on their top order. Although Smriti Mandhana is in the form of her life, other batters will have to come to the party in knockout games. Hosts South Africa will take on Sri Lanka in the tournament opener against Sri Lanka on February 10.
Ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, here is all you need to know.
The Venues
The tournament will be hosted in South Africa for the first time. Matches will be held at Newlands Cricket Ground, Boland Park and St George’s Park Cricket Ground.
The Dates
The Women’s T20 World Cup will begin on February 10 with a match between South Africa and Sri Lanka. The final of the tournament will take place on February 26, 2023.
Full Squads
Australia: Meg Lanning (c), Alyssa Healy (vc), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Georgia Wareham
Coach: Shelley Nitschke
England: Heather Knight (c), Kate Cross, Lauren Bell, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt
Travelling Reserves: Dani Gibson, Issy Wong
Coach: Jon Lewis
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Richa Ghosh, Shikha Pandey, Anjali Sarvani, Renuka Singh, Devika Vaidya, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav
Travelling Reserves: Sabbhineni Meghana, Sneh Rana, Meghna Singh
Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana (c), Shorna Akter, Rumana Ahmed, Disha Biswas, Dilara Akter, Lata Mondal, Marufa Akter, Nahida Akter, Jahanara Alam, Fahima Khatun, Murshida Khatun, Salma Khatun, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Shamima Sultana
Travelling Reserves: Rabeya Khan, Sanjida Akter Meghla, Sharmin Akter Supta
Coach: Hassan Tillakaratne
Ireland: Laura Delany (c), Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Orla Prendergast, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Eimear Richardson, Rachel Delaney, Mary Waldron
Coach: Ed Joyce
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Eden Carson, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu, Fran Jonas
Coach: Ben Sawyer
Pakistan: Bismah Maroof (c), Ayesha Naseem, Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Javeria Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan, Fatima Sana, Sadaf Shamas, Muneeba Ali
Travelling Reserves: Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz
Coach: Mark Coles
South Africa: Sune Luus (c), Annerie Dercksen, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Lara Goodall, Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Tazmin Brits, Masabata Class, Laura Wolvaardt, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Anneke Bosch, Delmi Tucker, Nadine de Klerk
Non-traveling reserves: Micaela Andrews, Tebogo Macheke, Tumi Sekhukhune
Coach: Hilton Moreeng
Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Malsha Shehani, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Tharika Sewwandi, Ama Kanchana, Sathya Sandeepani, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kaushini Nuthyangana
Coach: Hassan Tillakaratne
West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Shamilia Connell, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shabika Gajnabi, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Trishan Holder, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Chedean Nation, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams, Shakera Selman, Karishma Ramharack
Coach: Courtney Walsh
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