Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, IND vs NZ: New Zealand Win Toss, Opt To Bat First; Check Playing XIs

Dubai: India will kick off their Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a tight clash against New Zealand on Friday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India, considered strong contenders for the title, are eyeing their maiden World Cup trophy, especially with favourable conditions in the UAE.

India has consistently performed well in recent editions of the event, finishing as finalists in 2020 and reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and 2023. With the men’s team winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year, the Indian women’s team is motivated to bring home their own silverware. Batter Jemimah Rodrigues has expressed her dream of lifting the trophy and celebrating with the same grandeur as the men’s team.

India enter the tournament on a high, having won both their warm-up games against West Indies and South Africa. Harmanpreet Kaur, whose only T20I century came against New Zealand, is expected to play a crucial role. Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored a fifty in the warm-ups, will be key to India’s top order alongside Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, while Richa Ghosh provides firepower down the order. Deepti Sharma remains India’s standout all-rounder with 1020 runs and 131 wickets to her name. Renuka Singh Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar are likely to share the new ball.

New Zealand, led by Sophie Devine in her final T20 World Cup as captain, face a challenging start. The White Ferns have lost their last 10 T20I matches, including a 3-0 series defeat to Australia. Despite this, Amelia Kerr’s all-round brilliance—five wickets in the Australia series and a fifty against England in the warm-ups—offers hope. Suzie Bates, the all-time leading run-scorer in Women’s T20Is, is another player to watch.

India and New Zealand have clashed 13 times in Women’s T20Is, with New Zealand leading 9-4. Their World Cup encounters are evenly split at 2-2. However, India’s current form gives them the upper hand as they aim to start their World Cup campaign with a win.

Playing XIs

New Zealand Women: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine(c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze(w), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson

India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Renuka Thakur Singh