Australia Faces Sri Lanka in Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Clash

The 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is officially underway in the United Arab Emirates, where defending champions Australia are set to face Sri Lanka, the current Asia Cup champions, in their Group A match. The game is scheduled to take place at the Sharjah Cricket Ground.

Chamari Athapaththu, the captain of the Sri Lankan team, won the toss and has elected to bat first. The selection might be seen as strategic, given the conditions at the Sharjah pitch, which are generally favorable to spin bowlers, even though there is not much grass on the surface today.

Australia has opted for a spin-heavy lineup, featuring three spinners: Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, and Ash Gardner. This strategy might give them an edge on what is anticipated to be a slow pitch.

Ellyse Perry, a seasoned player for the Australian side, will be part of the squad for her ninth T20 World Cup. Perry, a cornerstone in Australia’s past successes, has already claimed six T20 World Cup titles and is looking to add a seventh to her impressive record.

The playing eleven for Australia includes Alyssa Healy (who is also leading the team as captain), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, Megan Schutt, and Darcie Brown. Sri Lanka’s lineup features Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wicketkeeper), Sachini Nisansala, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, and Inoka Ranaweera.

Historically, Australia has dominated in T20 internationals against Sri Lanka, winning all seven encounters between the two teams. As such, the odds are stacked against Sri Lanka, who are yet to register a victory against the Australians in this format.

The match toss, where Alyssa Healy represented Australia and Chamari Athapaththu represented Sri Lanka, took place at 3 PM IST. The teams have taken to the field following the toss as Australia aims to restrict Sri Lanka to a manageable total.

The tournament’s coverage in India is provided by Star Sports, with the match available for viewing on Star Sports 1 HD/SD and Star Sports 2 HD/SD in English. A Hindi commentary broadcast will be available on Star Sports Hindi HD/SD. Additionally, live streaming can be accessed via the Disney+Hotstar application and website.