India to Face West Indies in Women’s T20 World Cup Warm-Up Match

The Indian women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is set to face the West Indies in their first warm-up match ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. The match will take place at the ICC Academy Ground No. 2 in Dubai on Sunday, September 29. This encounter marks the beginning of India‘s preparations for the upcoming tournament, with the second warm-up match against South Africa scheduled for October 1 at the same venue.

The Women’s T20 World Cup will officially commence on October 3, with host nation Bangladesh facing Scotland in the opening match. India finds itself in a challenging Group A, alongside defending champions Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Their campaign in the tournament begins with a match against New Zealand on October 4 at the Dubai International Stadium, followed by a pivotal game against Pakistan on October 6 at the same location.

Reflecting on India’s record in the Women’s T20 World Cup, this will be the nation’s ninth participation in the event. India’s best performance to date was in 2020 when they finished as runners-up. Out of their previous participations, India reached the semifinals four times, including in the last edition held in South Africa in 2023, but also faced three consecutive group-stage exits between 2012 and 2016.

Harmanpreet Kaur expressed confidence in her squad, highlighting the presence of experienced players, including those who have participated in past World Cup tournaments. Newcomers Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, and S Sajana are expected to make their debuts. Kaur mentioned standout players like Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Singh, and Arundhati Reddy, emphasizing the strengths within the bowling lineup. “I can’t compare our bowling line-up with other teams because every team has its own positives and negatives, but I’m quite confident in my team,” Kaur stated during a pre-departure press conference in Mumbai.

For those interested in catching the live action, the India vs West Indies women’s T20 World Cup warm-up match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website. This provides fans an opportunity to follow their favorite team’s preparations closely as the tournament approaches.