Women's T20 WC: India, Pakistan to meet on October 6
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the new host for the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. The decision comes after political unrest in Bangladesh led to a change in venue. Despite Sheikh Hasina's resignation as Prime Minister and departure from Bangladesh, the situation remained unstable, prompting ICC to shift the tournament location. The competition is set to commence on October 3.
Revised schedule for Women's T20 World Cup 2024
The ICC has also released a revised schedule for the tournament. The opening match will see Bangladesh take on Scotland in Sharjah, while Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on the same day at the same venue. India is set to play their first match against New Zealand in Dubai on October 4. Defending champions Australia will begin their campaign against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on October 5.
High-profile matches and semi-finals
England will also start their tournament against Bangladesh on October 5. The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match is scheduled for October 6 in Dubai. India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will then face current Asian champions Sri Lanka on October 9 and conclude their league stage against Australia on October 13 in Sharjah. The first semi-final, potentially featuring India, will be held in Dubai on October 17 while the second one is slated for Sharjah on October 18.
Final and team preparations for Women's T20 World Cup
The final of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 will be hosted by Dubai on October 20. Both semi-finals and the final have been allocated a reserve day, unlike the men's T20 World Cup earlier this year. All participating teams are expected to arrive in UAE by late September, with warm-up matches commencing on September 28. The tournament will mark England and West Indies's first T20I appearance in UAE during this 10-team event.
Tournament fixtures and team performances
The updated fixtures for the tournament were revealed on Monday, with matches equally divided between Dubai and Sharjah for the group stages. Australia will play three of their four group fixtures in Sharjah, while India has three games scheduled in Dubai. Among the participating teams, Scotland and Sri Lanka have recently played in UAE during the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers 2024. Interestingly, Dubai has not yet hosted a single women's T20I match.
