CWG 2022: All we know about women's T20 event
Women's cricket will feature at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG). It would be the first edition of the T20 tournament at the multi-sport event. Edgbaston in Birmingham will play host to the eight-team tournament, starting July 29. Earlier this month, India Women named a 15-member squad for the 2022 CWG. Harmanpreet Kaur would lead the Women in Blue. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
Women's cricket will feature at the Commonwealth Games for the first time. As stated, Edgbaston in Birmingham will host the entire tournament. Notably, cricket last featured in a multi-sporting tournament in 1998. A 'List A' men's tournament was held at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Last year, the ICC confirmed that the "campaign to get cricket back into the Olympic Games is on".
Format of the T20 event
A total of eight sides will take part across 16 matches. The teams are split across two groups of four. Meanwhile, the top two sides from each group would qualify for the semi-finals. Sides finishing first in their group will lock horns with the second-place team in the opposite group. The losers of the semi-finals will play the bronze-medal match.
A look at Team India's squad
India Women squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, S. Meghana, Taniya Sapna Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana. Standby: Simran Dil Bahadur, Richa Ghosh, Poonam Yadav.
Here are the teams
Group A: Australia, Barbados, India, Pakistan. Group B: England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka. Notably, the West Indies comprise a group of nations that compete separately in the Commonwealth Games. Therefore, a regional qualifier had to finalize their spot. However, the qualifier got suspended due to COVID-19. Barbados were eventually selected for the tournament as they won the T20 Blaze in 2019.
A look at the schedule (IST)
July 29: Australia vs India, 4:30 pm, Barbados vs Pakistan, 11:30 pm July 30: New Zealand vs South Africa, 4:30 pm, England vs Sri Lanka, 11:30 pm July 31: India vs Pakistan, 4:30 pm, Australia vs Barbados, 11:30 pm August 2: England vs SA, 4:30 pm, NZ vs Sri Lanka, 11:30 pm August 3: Australia vs Pakistan, 4:30 pm, Barbados vs India, 11:30 pm
A look at the schedule (IST)
A look at the schedule (IST) - August 4: South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 4:30 pm, England vs New Zealand, 11:30 pm. August 6: 1st semi-final, 4:30 pm, 2nd semi-final, 11:30 pm. August 7: Bronze medal match, 2:30 pm, Gold medal match, 10:30 pm
Telecast and streaming details
As far as broadcast is concerned, Sony Sports Network has the telecast rights for all cricket matches at the impending Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, SonyLIV (paid subscription) will live stream all the live matches in the competition.
