6 contenders, 1 trophy: T20 WWC battle begins
The biggest edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup gets underway in England on June 12, with 12 teams competing for the title across
The biggest edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup gets underway in England on June 12, with 12 teams competing for the title across 33 matches. As defending champions New Zealand seek to retain their crown, India will aim to complete a rare World Cup double after winning the ODI World Cup last year, while Australia look to re-establish their dominance after a rare trophyless ICC cycle.The tournament's expanded format has heightened competition, but a handful of teams enter as genuine title contenders.India chasing historyNo team apart from Australia has won both the ODI and T20 World Cups in succession. Harmanpreet Kaur's side has an opportunity to achieve that feat after ending India's long wait for a global title with last year's ODI World Cup triumph.Also Read: JioStar bets on mainstreaming women’s cricket fandom with ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaignIndia's preparations have produced mixed signals. They secured home series victories over Sri Lanka and Australia but struggled on overseas tours, losing a T20 series in South Africa and another in England earlier this month. England recovered from 0-1 down to beat India 2-1, exposing concerns over India's bowling depth in unfamiliar conditions.The batting unit remains India's biggest strength.
Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh bring extensive experience from English franchise competitions, which could prove valuable during a month-long campaign.India also received a confidence boost in a warm-up match against West Indies, where Bharti Fulmalli struck a half-century and the spin attack delivered a commanding performance.Australia remain the benchmarkAustralia enter the tournament under a new captain after Alyssa Healy's retirement, with Sophie Molineux taking charge of a squad that still boasts some of the most experienced names in women's cricket.Also Read: Form of openers, bowling main areas of concern as India head into T20 World CupEllyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Megan Schutt, Alana King and Tahlia McGrath form a battle-tested core capable of thriving in major tournaments. The additions of opener Georgia Voll and left-arm seamer Lucy Hamilton have added fresh depth.Despite not winning a major ICC trophy since 2023, Australia remain the most successful side in Women's T20 World Cup history with six titles and will once again start among the favourites.Defending champions New Zealand eye repeatNew Zealand arrive as defending champions but face the challenge of replacing an experienced generation nearing the end of its international journey.Veterans Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu remain central to the team's ambitions, while all-rounder Amelia Kerr continues to be one of the most influential players in world cricket.
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