The schedule for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place later this year in Bangladesh, was unveiled on Sunday, 5 May. Commencing in Dhaka on 3 October, the championship will span 19 days, featuring 10 teams competing in 23 matches for the highly coveted title in Women's T20I cricket.
Here's a glimpse at some of the crucial matchups worth monitoring.
England vs. South Africa, 3 October
A gripping encounter in the semi-finals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 remains the most recent meeting between these two sides in this format. The tension-filled showdown witnessed the Proteas narrowly outplay England by six runs, securing their first-ever World Cup final berth.
Many of the key players from that clash are expected to be in action when these teams square off in the opener of the 2024 event in Dhaka.
Overall, South Africa have triumphed over England on only four occasions in 24 Women's T20Is, and Heather Knight's squad will view this encounter as an opportunity to secure a significant victory early in the tournament.
India v Pakistan, 6 October
India and Pakistan, traditional adversaries, are poised to ignite the opening weekend of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 with their eagerly anticipated showdown scheduled for a Sunday.
While India have maintained supremacy in the head-to-head encounters in Women's T20Is against Pakistan, the latter posed a genuine threat in the previous tournament, where Jemimah Rodrigues' undefeated half-century ultimately steered India to victory with an over to spare.
Interestingly, India's last defeat in a women's T20I against Pakistan occurred in Bangladesh in 2022 during the Asia Cup.
This highly anticipated clash promises to be a spectacle as an increasingly formidable Pakistan squad seeks to upset their formidable rivals on the global stage.
Australia v New Zealand, 11 October
No other team has secured more victories against Australia in Women's T20Is than the White Ferns, boasting 21 wins in this format against the six-time T20 World Cup champions.
As they clash once again on the global platform, all attention will be focused on New Zealand's formidable batting lineup and their ability to challenge the Aussies.
Australia have suffered defeats in two of their last five completed women's T20Is against the White Ferns.
In their most recent encounter, during the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup, Australia dominated with a 97-run victory, dismissing the White Ferns for a mere 76 runs, with Ashleigh Gardner claiming a remarkable five-wicket haul.
England v West Indies, 12 October
Since the conclusion of the previous edition of the tournament in South Africa, the West Indies have left a significant mark in Women's T20Is.
In the span of 10 Women's T20Is during this period, the West Indies have emerged victorious in seven matches, with the exceptional Hayley Matthews clinching the Player of the Match title in six of those triumphs.
Their upcoming challenge lies against a formidable English team in their ultimate Group fixture of the competition. Overcoming them is undoubtedly a formidable task, but if Matthews and her teammates can post a formidable total, they have a chance to vanquish this England squad in Women's T20Is for the first time since 2018.
India v Australia, 13 October
India's rapid ascent as a dominant force in women's cricket has led to encounters with Australia in the final of two significant women's events since 2020 — the ICC Women's T20 World Cup final in 2020 and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
On both occasions, Australia emerged victorious, yet India has demonstrated competitiveness in recent clashes against the formidable Aussies.
In the Commonwealth Games final, they came remarkably close to upsetting the Australians, ultimately falling short by a mere nine runs.
As these familiar adversaries prepare to face off in the final round of matches in the Women's T20 World Cup, both squads will aim to secure their semi-final berths. Should they fail to do so, they face a daunting task, with the match expected to be a fiercely contested affair.
