If West Asia is in the news as a conflict zone, the desert sands of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may offer some relief over the next fortnight. The ICC T20 Women’s World Cup that commenced at Sharjah on Thursday (October 3, 2024) will oscillate between this venue and Dubai. Featuring 10 teams split into two groups of five each, the championship will conclude on October 20, 2024. The tournament was supposed to be held in Bangladesh, but the unrest of the previous months in Dhaka meant that though India’s eastern neighbour holds the hosting rights, the matches had to be shifted to the UAE. While Australia will step in with the swagger of a defending champion, having seized the cup after vanquishing host South Africa in the 2023 edition, India will walk in with the hope of finally claiming the trophy. In the 2020 final at Melbourne, India wilted against Australia. Cut to the present, Harmanpreet Kaur’s strong unit will clash against New Zealand at Dubai on Friday and a good first outing is essential. India has moved on from the era of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami and those are massive shoes to fill, but Harmanpreet, Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, and others have tried their best to chart a fresh path.
The tournament is also invested with a larger cause layered with gender sensitivity. While male players get accolades and commercial heft through cricket, female players have always fought for their rights. Even in the latest event, despite being pitted against each other as rivals, there is a sisterhood at play. Through interactions with the press, all the leading female players have sought more games and also more Tests. Often the women are resigned to playing just limited-overs cricket. While Mithali turned out in 232 ODIs and 89 T20Is, it is a travesty that she played only 12 Tests in a long career. Harmanpreet and company have often sought comfort in diverse franchise leagues but there is nothing like a solid bilateral contest to toughen up the stars. Having won the title on six occasions, Australia remains the behemoth. Alyssa Healy and her merry bunch will be the team that most squads, including old rival England, would want to knock off the pedestal. And for those keen on watching neighbourhood rivalry, India and Pakistan are placed in Group A and will face off on Sunday. Diplomatic tensions have ensured that the two nations compete against each other only in global events.
Published – October 04, 2024 12:15 am IST
