Tomorrow, Thursday, 3 October, sees the start of the ninth ICC women’s T20 World Cup. The ICC moved the tournament from its original host Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August 2024 because of civil unrest in Bangladesh. Matches will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The final will take place in Dubai on Sunday, October 20th.

Rules explained

• Both teams face a maximum of 20 overs. There are exceptions to this rule. The first exception is when the team gets bowled out before they reach 20 overs. The second exception is if the chasing team reaches their target before 20 overs.
• In each innings, there is a six-over power-play period where only two fielders are permitted outside the 30-yard circle.
• Teams have two reviews per innings.
• The fielding team has sixty seconds to start a new over after the previous one ends.
• If there is a tie, the teams play a super-over to determine the winner (six balls for each team, highest score takes the win). If there is a tie, teams keep playing super-overs until one team emerges as the winner.

• Two points for a win and zero points for defeat.
• If there is a tie in points among teams in the group stage, the team with the better net run-rate will move forward.
• DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method applies for games cancelled because of the weather.

T20 excitement

The T20 format of around three hours makes cricket more accessible and gives spectators a result on the day, unlike test cricket, for example, where matches can last up to five days. The risk taking can be chaotic, and amidst the chaos, the spirit of cricket finds its purest expression. A more assertive approach to batting breathes life into the sport, igniting intensity and creating captivating moments that lovers of cricket will remember forever.

Who’s taking part?

The ICC women’s T20 World Cup Group A comprises six times winners Australia, who won the last three, are 8/11 to lift the trophy. 2020 runner-up India looks strong, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, and is confident they will lift the trophy. Joint second favourite at 7/2. New Zealand, with a T20 ranking of 5, is an outside bet at 22/1. Pakistan is a long chance at 100/1. and Sri Lanka with star batter Chamari Athapaththu are a respectable 33/1 and may be one to watch.

Group B includes original hosts, Bangladesh, a 250/1 shot alongside 7/2 joint second favourites England, led by the highest ranked bowler in the ICC T20 and one-day international (ODI) rankings, Sophie Ecclestone. Last year’s runners up South Africa are another tempting outside bet at 18/1 whilst 2016 winners West Indies, led by the highest-ranked all-rounder Hayley Matthews are a 20/1 shot. Scotland, who qualified for their first Women’s T20 World Cup by beating Ireland, are rank outsiders at 1500/1.

Who will take the prize?

It’s difficult to look further than a dominant Australia led by a galaxy of legends and emerging stars. However, England beat them in the T20 leg of last summer’s Ashes series and also won the ODI series 2-1. England is a good bet to reach the final although, if everything went to betting, they’d meet India in the semi-finals, which could go either way, especially with new stars Shreyanka Patil and Asha Sobhana keen to impress. The opening game is original hosts Bangladesh versus Scotland, followed by Pakistan versus Sri Lanka. The ICC women’s T20 World Cup looking for the glory, the fame and the fortune, would take home a record $2.34 million (£1.756m) prize. Further incentive to stop juggernaut Australia and etch their name into cricketing history.

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