Indian Women’s Cricket Team Heads to UAE for T20 World Cup
The Indian women’s cricket team has left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, starting on October 3. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared pictures of the team, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur, star batters Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and pacers Renuka Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar, as they departed for the tournament.
Team’s Optimism
At a press conference in Mumbai, Harmanpreet Kaur expressed confidence in the team’s ability to overcome Australia, a formidable opponent. She emphasized that India has a strong team capable of winning the title. Harmanpreet said, “We know that whenever we play against them, we can beat them any day, any time. Winning the title after so many years is a great opportunity for us.”
Past Performances
India reached their first-ever T20 World Cup final in 2020 but lost to Australia. In the last edition in 2022, India made it to the semi-finals but were again defeated by Australia. Despite mixed results in recent series, including losses to Australia and England, India bounced back with wins against Bangladesh and a draw against South Africa.
Upcoming Matches
India will start their T20 World Cup campaign against New Zealand on October 4 at the Dubai International Stadium. Before the tournament, they will play warm-up matches against the West Indies and South Africa.
Squad
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Harmanpreet Kaur (c) | Captain |
| Smriti Mandhana (vc) | Vice-Captain |
| Shafali Verma | Batter |
| Deepti Sharma | All-rounder |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | Batter |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | Wicketkeeper |
| Yastika Bhatia (wk) | Wicketkeeper |
| Pooja Vastrakar | All-rounder |
| Arundhati Reddy | Bowler |
| Renuka Singh | Bowler |
| Dayalan Hemalatha | All-rounder |
| Asha Sobhana | Bowler |
| Radha Yadav | Bowler |
| Shreyanka Patil | All-rounder |
| Sajana Sajeevan | Bowler |
Travelling Reserves
Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor
Non-Travelling Reserves
Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra
Doubts Revealed
UAE -: UAE stands for the United Arab Emirates, a country in the Middle East. It is known for its cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
T20 World Cup -: The T20 World Cup is a cricket tournament where teams play a shorter version of the game called Twenty20. Each team plays 20 overs, which are sets of 6 balls.
ICC -: ICC stands for International Cricket Council. It is the organization that governs and organizes major cricket tournaments around the world.
Harmanpreet Kaur -: Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. She is a very talented player and leads the team in matches.
Australia -: Australia is a country and also has a strong women’s cricket team. They are one of the top teams in the world.
New Zealand -: New Zealand is another country with a good women’s cricket team. India will play their first match against them.
Smriti Mandhana -: Smriti Mandhana is a key player in the Indian women’s cricket team. She is known for her excellent batting skills.
Shafali Verma -: Shafali Verma is a young and talented cricketer in the Indian team. She is known for her aggressive batting style.
Jemimah Rodrigues -: Jemimah Rodrigues is another important player in the Indian women’s cricket team. She is known for her versatile batting.
