Harmanpreet’s India begin title hunt against struggling New Zealand

Harmanpreet Kaur’s India are set to start their campaign in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 when they lock horns with Sophie Devine’s New Zealand on Friday, October 4 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India are being deemed as one of the favourites to win the World Cup given their strength and the conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Women in Blue played the final in 2020 and the semis in 2018 and 2023, but are yet to get their hands on the coveted trophy. Back in June, the men’s team won the T20 World Cup after beating South Africa in the final in Barbados. In July, after their return home, Rohit Sharma’s men got a rousing reception where they took part in a victory parade. Jemimah Rodrigues, who is a part of the women’s squad, has dreamed of lifting the title.
“100 percent. It’s nice to keep dreaming about that, and we do dream about sitting on that bus at Marine Lines. I have played a lot of cricket there and getting crowds there. But more than anything, we want to lift the World Cup for India,” Jemimah told India Today earlier.
India won both their warm-up matches against West Indies and South Africa, which should keep them in good stead. Harmanpreet’s only T20I hundred came against the White Ferns and she will be looking to up the ante this time around as well. Yastika Bhatia and Shreyanka Patil’s selection was subject to fitness, but both of them played in the warm-ups and looked in good shape.
Jemimah scored a fifty against the Hayley Matthews-led West Indies, and she is expected to be a key in India’s top order along with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Richa Ghosh adds firepower lower down the order. Deepti Sharma remains India’s star all-rounder, having scored 1020 runs and picking up 131 wickets. Renuka Singh Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar are most likely to share the new ball.
Focus will be on both Harmanpreet and Devine, who will both be playing in their ninth edition of the mega event. For Devine, the T20 World Cup will be her last as the skipper of the White Ferns. The task won’t be easy for her as New Zealand have lost all their last 10 Women’s T20Is and are coming off a 3-0 defeat to Australia. They defeated South Africa in the warm-ups, but lost to England.
Amelia Kerr remains a key for them, both in the batting and bowling departments. In fact, Kerr opened the batting in the practice games and scored a fifty against Heather Knight’s England, although it came in a losing cause. One of the top all-rounders in the women’s game, Kerr also got five wickets against Australia, the most by any bowler in the series.
Suzie Bates, who’s also playing in her ninth T20 World Cup, became the top run-scorer in the Australia T20Is and will be high on confidence. Also, being the all-time top run-getter in the Women’s T20Is, New Zealand will look up to her to get big scores in the tournament.
India and New Zealand have faced each other 13 times in Women’s T20Is since 2009. The White Ferns are leading 9-4. In their previous meeting back in February 2022, New Zealand won by 18 runs in Queenstown. In the T20 World Cups, it’s 2-2. The last time they met in the mega event, India beat New Zealand by three runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in 2020.
India
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav/Shreyanka Patil, Renuka Singh
New Zealand
Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine (C), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Gaze (wk), Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas/Leigh Kasperek
History doesn’t favour India, but on current form, they should be able to ease past New Zealand and start their campaign on a winning note.