Women’s Asia Cup 2024: All You Need to Know

The ninth edition of the Women’s Asia Cup is set to kick off on July 19th in Sri Lanka, bringing together eight of the best women’s cricket teams from across Asia. The tournament will be played in the exciting T20I format, marking the fifth consecutive time it will be held in this format.

Format and Groups

The eight participating teams have been divided into two groups of four each for the initial round-robin stage. In this stage, each team will play against every other team in their respective group once. The top two teams from each group will then progress to the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals will face off in the grand finale on July 28th at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla.

Group A: India, Nepal, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates

Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand

Squads

Each team has announced a strong squad packed with talented players, ready to showcase their skills on the cricket pitch.

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan.

UAE: Esha Rohit Oza (C), Kavisha Kumari, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Lavanya Keny, Emily Thomas, Heena Harish Hotchandani, Mehak Thakur, Indhuja Nandakumar, Rinitha Rajith, Khushi Mohan Sharma, Rishitha Rajith, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish, Vaishnave Mahesh.

Nepal: Indu Barma (C), Kajol Shrestha, Rubina Chettri, Sabnam Rai, Sita Rana Magar, Rajmati Airee, Puja Mahato, Bindu Rawal, Roma Thapa, Mamta Chaudhary, Kabita Joshi, Kabita Kunwar, Dolly Bhatta, Kritika Marasini, Samjhana Khadka

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (C), Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Ama Kanchana, Udeshika Prabodani, Kawya Kavindi, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasooriya, Kaveesha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunarathne, Inoshi Priyadarshani, Nilakshi De Silva, Sachini Nisansala, Shashini Gimhani

Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana Joty (C), Shorna Akter, Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorifa Khatun, Ritu Moni, Rubya Haider Jhelik, Sultana Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Ishma Tanjim, Rabeya Khan, Rumana Ahmed, Marufa Akter, Sabikun Nahar Jesmin

Pakistan: Nida Dar (C), Iram Javed, Sadia Iqbal, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Najiha Alvi, Syeda Aroob Shah, Nashra Sundhu, Tasmia Rubab, Omaima Sohail, Tuba Hassan.

Malaysia: Winifred Duraisingam (C), Mas Elysa, Ainna Hamizah Hashim, Wan Julia, Mahirah Izzati Ismail, Aina Najwa, Aisya Eleesa, Nur Izzatul Syafiqa, Arianna Natasya, Elsa Hunter, Dhanusri Sri Muhunan, Suabika Manivannan, Amalin Sorfina, Nur Aisyah, Irdina Beh Nabil

Thailand: Thipatcha Putthawong (C), Nannapat Khoncharoenkai (WK), Suwanan Khiaoto (WK), Koranit Suwanchonrathi, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Rosenanee Kanoh, Suleeporn Laomi, Phannita Maya, Chayanisa Phengpaen, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Kanyakorn Bunthansen, Nannaphat Chaihan

Importance of the Tournament

The Women’s Asia Cup is not just a thrilling cricket tournament; it also serves as an important preparatory event for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled for October-November in Bangladesh. The teams will use this tournament to test their strategies, fine-tune their skills, and gain valuable experience in pressure situations.

India’s Dominance

India holds the record for the greatest number of Women’s Asia Cup titles, having won the trophy seven times. The defending champions will be eager to continue their dominance and lift the trophy once again. However, they will face stiff competition from other strong teams like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Schedule

The tournament promises to be an exciting spectacle, with matches scheduled from July 19th to 28th. Here’s the complete schedule for your reference:

July 19, Friday:

1. UAE vs Nepal (2:00 PM IST)

2. India vs Pakistan (7:00 PM IST)

July 20, Saturday:

1.  Malaysia vs Thailand (2:00 PM IST)

2. Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (7:00 PM IST)

July 21, Sunday:

1. India vs UAE (2:00 PM IST)

2. Pakistan vs Nepal (7:00 PM IST)

July 22, Monday:

1. Sri Lanka vs Malaysia (2:00 PM IST)

2. Bangladesh vs Thailand (7:00 PM IST)

July 23, Tuesday:

1. Pakistan vs UAE (2:00 PM IST)

2. India vs Nepal (7:00 PM IST)

July 24, Wednesday:

1. Bangladesh vs Malaysia (2:00 PM IST)

2. Sri Lanka vs Thailand (7:00 PM IST)

July 26, Friday:

1. Semi-final 1 (7:00 PM IST)

2. Semi-final 2 (7:00 PM IST)

July 28, Sunday:

1. Final (7:00 PM IST)

 

Overall, the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 is set to be an exciting and closely contested tournament. With a strong line-up of teams and a packed schedule, fans can expect some exhilarating cricket action.