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

India‘s women’s cricket team, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, will commence their preparations for the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 with a warm-up match against the West Indies. The match is scheduled to take place on Sunday at the ICC Academy Ground No. 2 in Dubai. This encounter is the first of two warm-up games for India, the second being against South Africa on October 1 at the same venue.

The Women’s T20 World Cup will officially begin on October 3, with hosts Bangladesh facing off against Scotland in the tournament opener. India finds itself in a challenging Group A alongside defending champions Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Their tournament campaign will kick off against New Zealand on October 4 at the Dubai International Stadium, followed by a high-stakes match against Pakistan on October 6.

India’s participation in this edition marks their ninth stint in the Women’s T20 World Cup. Their most remarkable performance was in 2020 when they finished as runners-up. Despite reaching the semifinals four times, including the last edition in 2023 in South Africa, the team has also experienced group-stage exits in past tournaments from 2012 to 2016.

Harmanpreet Kaur expressed confidence in the current squad, which includes 12 players with previous World Cup experience. Newcomers Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, and S Sajana are poised to make their debuts at the tournament. “If I talk about this team, we have a few players who have been playing for a long time and they know their roles really well,” said Kaur during a press conference in Mumbai. “I can say that this is the best team we are going for a T20 World Cup with.”

The warm-up match against West Indies will be closely followed as India monitors the fitness of new squad members Shreyanka Patil and Yastika Bhatia. Spinner Asha Sobhana is also expected to be under the spotlight following her promising performances on the Bangladesh tour.

Meanwhile, the West Indies team enters the warm-up stage with confidence after a series win against Sri Lanka in July. Hayley Matthews, a key player from their victorious 2016 World Cup squad, recently led the Barbados Royals to a Women’s CPL victory, adding to her accolades. Seasoned player Stafanie Taylor will make her ninth World Cup appearance alongside Harmanpreet Kaur, with Shamilia Connell heading the pace attack. Deandra Dottin, returning from retirement, is anticipated to play a crucial role as an all-rounder.

The India vs West Indies warm-up match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and available for streaming on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website. Enthusiasts can follow the action and keep pace with match schedules, team standings, player statistics, and real-time updates through various platforms including the Hindustan Times website and app.