ICC Woman's T20 World Cup logo.
Credit: icc-cricket.com
The ICC Women's T20 World Cup is set to begin soon, with Australia looking to defend their title once again while India, among the other teams look to dethrone the Aussies.
Let's take a look at the players to watch out for in the tournament, which will commence on Thursday.
Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
Amelia Kerr.
Credit: Instagram/@meliekerrr
Amelia Kerr, who has been on the scene for quite a while -- way back from when she was a 14-year-old viral sensation in New Zealand -- is heading into the World Cup in fine form.
Ranked no. 4 in Women's T20 All rounders in the world, Kerr has picked up 8 wickets and scored 143 runs in her last 5 T20Is.
Beth Mooney (Australia)
Bethany Mooney.
Credit: cricket.com.au
One of the heroes of the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup final, Beth Mooney looks in no mood to let the title go to anyone else this time around too.
The Australia's opening batter is in fine touch and will be looking to help Aussies maintain the crown on their heads.
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
Chamari Athapaththu.
Credit: icc-cricket.com
Captain Athapaththu has led the Sri Lankan women's team to many firsts under her leadership. It remains to be seen whether she can finally use all that experience and all-round ability to get them close to a first title.
Deepti Sharma (India)
Deepti Sharma
Credit: PTI Photo
While names like Mandhana, Harmanpreet and Renuka are seen as important cogs in the title contenders' squad, Deepti Sharma is perhaps the cog that will run the whole Indian machine with her all-round ability similar to Hardik Pandya is/Yuvraj Singh was for the men's side.
While she isn't at her best though, but expect her to turn up at the big stage to lead the side to that elusive 1st ICC trophy.
Fatima Sana (Pakistan)
Fatima Sana
Credit: X/@TheRealPCB
New Pakistani women's team captain Fatima Sana has shown us that she is a big game player that comes in clutch during crucial moments in the game. But will she be able to transition into a big game leader? Only time will tell.
Hayley Matthews (West Indies)
Hayley Matthews.
Credit: Instagram/ @hkmatthews50
Hayley Matthews was integral in the side that defeated the seemingly Invincible Australian women's team in the finals of the 2016 Women's T20 World Cup, hitting 66 off 45 balls to help West Indies chase down 149 and win their first world title.
Now that she's the team's captain, expect the World's No.1 ranked all-rounder to try and lead her country to a second title.
Scotland's Kathryn Bryce
Kathryn Bryce.
Credit: X/@Kathryn_Bryce
Kathryn Bryce was named the ICC's associate women's player of the decade for 2011-20 on the back of her performances in a Scotland shirt, despite making her T20I debut as recently as 2018.
Now leading her country at the T20 tournament, and coming into the tournament in spectacular form, can she do the improbable and led Scotland close to a first title in the sport?
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
South Africa Women's captain Laura Wolvaardt
Credit: PTI Photo
The South African legend is coming into the tournament in some fine form and will perhaps be looking to use it to go beyond what her country's male compatriots did earlier this year, and what they themselves had achieved in the last edition.
Nahida Akter (Bangladesh)
Nahida Akter.
Credit: icc-cricket.com
Akter is one wicket shy of 100 in T20 internationals with an average of only 16. The left-arm finger spinner has best bowling figures of 5-8 in 87 T20 internationals at only 24 years of age.
Having been part of some memorable national teams that won ACC accolades, she will want to make some more this time around with perhaps the silverware too.
Sophie Ecclestone (England)
England's Sophie Ecclestone.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Ecclestone is the highest-ranked bowler in both the ICC T20 and ODI rankings. But she isn't at her best at the moment, so England will hope that she turns up before the tournament starts. If she does, England will be one formidable force to beat.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 gets under way with a match between Bangladesh and Scotland in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday.