India Women and Australia Women. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Group A encapsulates exactly why the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be the most competitive edition of the tournament ever staged. With the ten teams evenly split into two groups, a fiercely competitive Group A contains five of the top eight teams in the Women’s T20I Team Rankings.
Here is a breakdown of the nations who will fight it out to make the top two and seal progression to the semi-finals.
Australia
The greatest dynasty in the history of the women’s game rolls into another tournament as the top-ranked side. Australia will aim to lift the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy for the fourth time in succession and at ICC global events, they have won each of their last 20 games.
This time they will be skippered by Alyssa Healy after Meg Lanning’s retirement last year, with the keeper-batter also their heaviest T20I run-scorer with 440 in the past 12 months.
A series of defeats to England and losses to South Africa and the West Indies put the world on notice – Shelley Nitschke’s side will have an almighty target on their backs in UAE.
India
India has a strong recent record at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, having reached at least the semi-finals in 2018, 2020, and 2023. Their hopes of going one better and winning it for the first time will rely heavily on the powerful opening partnership of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma.
The momentum behind women’s cricket in India continues to grow and with a talented spin attack, the national team has all of the tools to excel in the UAE conditions.
A surprise defeat to Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup will make their Group A clash compelling viewing, as well as their highly-anticipated tussle with Australia, to whom they lost in the final back in 2020.
New Zealand
Ranked fourth in the Women’s T20I Team Rankings, New Zealand will be motivated to prove that they remain one of the top sides in the world.
Despite registering two wins on each occasion, the White Ferns have not reached the knockout stages of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup since 2016.
They have lost their last 10 T20I matches too, albeit those defeats have come in tough assignments against England and Australia.
To turn things around they will look to experienced hands in captain Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, both playing at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the ninth time.
Also Read: Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Warm-ups Review: Wins for Australia, New Zealand and India
Pakistan
Pakistan will aim to fight fire with fire in Group A as they seek to make the knockout stages of this tournament for the first time.
With 22-year-old Fatima Sana now leading the side, their squad contains an interesting blend of youth and experience which should make hay on spin-friendly surfaces.
Traditionally cautious in the powerplay, Pakistan recently posted their highest-ever T20I total of 181 runs against South Africa and have loosened the shackles on their top-order batters.
With experienced hands like Nida Dar, Diana Baig, and Muneeba Ali steering the ship, they hope to pull off a few upsets.
Sri Lanka
Seventh in the Women’s T20I Team Rankings, Sri Lanka will hope to showcase their recent improvements on the biggest stage of them all.
Chamari Athapaththu’s side arrive in UAE full of confidence having won the Asia Cup for the first time, beating India in the final thanks to a superb 69 from in-form batter Harshitha Samarawickrama.
Since the last ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, they have also beaten New Zealand, England, and South Africa for the first time.
All of this means hopes will be high that they can compete for wins and potentially emerge from the group stages for the first time in their ninth appearance at the event.