Winning is what Australia is all about. In the history of cricket’s white ball world championships, the Australian women have won 13. The rest of the world has won nine.
This week, Australia start the 10th Women’s Twenty20 World Cup ranked No. 1 and favored for a seventh title.
But thanks to being cricket’s financial engine, India is making up for lost time. The men have won their last two T20 World Cups, the most recent in March, and the women won their first ODI World Cup last November.
That supercharged their confidence, so much so that in February they handed Australia its first T20 bilateral series defeat since 2017 and won in Australia for the first time in a decade.
“There’s a belief in the team now that we can beat anybody in this world,” India seam bowler Arundhati Reddy said. Eight years after Australia started the Women’s Big Bash League, India launched the Women’s Premier League in 2023 along the lines of the men’s IPL. That has encouraged fearless strokeplay by the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur, who will captain India for the fifth time at her 10th T20 World Cup. The closest Kaur came to winning was in the 2020 final.
Australia, without a global trophy for the first time since 2017, began resetting while six-time T20 world champion Alyssa Healy phased herself out. Sophie Molineux has the captaincy, Beth Mooney the gloves, and Georgia Voll an opener’s spot.
Voll and Mooney are the Nos. 1-2 ranked T20 batters, the great Ellyse Perry is gunning for her seventh title, and allrounder Annabel Sutherland has a shot at player of the tournament.
But one of Australia, India and South Africa in their group will miss the semifinals, and Australia has never missed out.
South Africa has reached the last three world finals (two T20s, one ODI) but an over-reliance on captain Laura Wolvaardt – averaging 54 in 13 innings this year – prompted the Proteas to persuade out of retirement fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, who is still ripping out batters in franchise competitions at 37, and Dane van Niekerk, the former captain who quit in controversy before the 2023 T20 World Cup.
Also in Group A are Pakistan, Bangladesh – playing in England for the first time – and first-time qualifier the Netherlands.
Group B in the first 12-team T20 World Cup features No. 2 England, New Zealand and the West Indies – all one-time champions – along with Ireland, Scotland and Sri Lanka. England and Sri Lanka open the tournament on Friday in Birmingham.
England’s fitness was questioned at the last T20 World Cup and coach Charlotte Edwards, who captained England to victory at the inaugural 2009 tournament, has prioritized it. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt sat out the recent home series wins over New Zealand and India due to a calf tear but has been passed fit to bat but not bowl until later.
New Zealand has 10 back from the 2024 champion side, including No. 1-ranked allrounder and new captain Melie Kerr. The Kiwis hope to farewell in style Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu, who share nearly 900 caps. “To have our three most senior players all finishing their careers at the same tournament is a rare and special occasion,” coach Ben Sawyer said.
The West Indies, spearheaded by captain Hayley Matthews and leg-spinner Afy Fletcher, welcomed a tri-nations series win over Ireland and Pakistan last week after being swept at home by Sri Lanka and Australia.
Sri Lanka is headlined by trailblazer Chamari Athapaththu, who has said this 10th T20 World Cup might not be her last; Ireland hope to end a 0-17 record in their fifth appearance; and Scotland has warmed up with a home tri-nations series win against Bangladesh and the Dutch.
The top two from both groups qualify for the semifinals at The Oval, with the final at Lord’s on July 5 to cap 33 games in 24 days. Each knockout game has a reserve day.
Ticket sales weeks ago eclipsed the previous tournament record of 136,549 in 2020 in Australia, skewed by 86,000 at the Australia-India final at the MCG. Sales since have passed 160,000 and are tracking toward 200,000.
In another reward for the growth of women’s cricket, prizemoney was up 10% from 2024 to $8.76 million, with the winner receiving $2.34 million.