India Women Team.
India Women Team. Image Credit: X

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the updated schedule for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, which has now been shifted from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India women will be playing their opening game of the tournament against New Zealand on October 04 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

All the ten teams who have qualified for the tournament will participate in the practice game, with every side taking part in two warm-up encounters each. These fixtures will have 20 overs per side and won’t have international T20 status.

The teams can field all of the members of the 15-player squad at any moment during the game. India last played the shortest format of the game during the final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla and lost the fixture by eight wickets.

India face West Indies and South Africa in warm-ups for Women’s T20 World Cup

In the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, two groups have been divided. In Group A, the defending champions Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka show their presence, while the rest of the teams- South Africa, England, West Indies, Scotland, and Bangladesh comprise the Group B.

Also Read: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah Blamed By Pakistan Management For Loss To Bangladesh In Rawalpindi

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will play their first warm-up game against West Indies on September 29 at the second ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai, while their second fixture is against the Proteas on October 01 at the first ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai.

They have named a familiar-looking squad for the tournament, retaining all of the members of the Asia Cup in July this year, apart from Uma Chetry, the wicket-keeper batter. She has been replaced with Yastika Bhatiya, but the latter’s inclusion is subject to fitness, as it has been for Shreyanka Patil, who suffered a fractured finger in her left hand during an Asia Cup game against Pakistan.

Bhatiya was the highest run-scorer for the Mumbai Indians in the recent edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), with 204 runs in eight innings. After playing the first game against Bangladesh in Sylhet in April, the wicket-keeper batter of India has been out of action for the last couple of months and has been managing her recovery sessions at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

India’s biggest rivalry game against Pakistan will take place on October 06 in Dubai before they face Sri Lanka a couple of days later on the same ground. Their last game of the group stage will be against Australia on October 13 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Another exciting clash in the warm-up fixture will be between two old rivals- England and Australia on September 29 at the first ICC Cricket Academy Cricket in Dubai.

Also Read: Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja And Umran Malik Out From Duleep Trophy 2024; Replacements Named

The main event will start on October 03 between Bangladesh and Scotland while the final of the tournament will be played on October 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Warm-up fixtures for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

Date Teams Ground
September 28 Pakistan vs Scotland Sevens, Dubai
September 28 Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh ICCA1, Dubai
September 29 New Zealand vs South Africa Sevens, Dubai
September 29 India vs West Indies ICCA2, Dubai
September 29 Australia vs England ICCA1. Dubai
September 30 Sri Lanka vs Scotland Sevens, Dubai
September 30 Bangladesh vs Pakistan ICCA2, Dubai
October 01 West Indies vs Australia Sevens, Dubai
October 01 England vs New Zealand ICCA2, Dubai
October 01 South Africa vs India ICCA1, Dubai