India and New Zealand will kick off their 2024 Twenty20 (T20) World Cup campaign on October 4, 2024, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This match, the 4th of the ongoing 9th edition of the tournament, gets underway at 7:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Both New Zealand and India played two warm-up games each, fine-tuning their skills ahead of the tournament. India registered convincing wins in both matches, defending totals of 141 against the West Indies by 20 runs and 144 against South Africa by 28 runs. New Zealand, on the other hand, delivered a dominant 8-wicket win over South Africa after bowling them out for 92 but lost their second warm-up game to England while defending a modest 126.
Squads:
India –
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan
New Zealand –
Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Melie Kerr, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Players to watch out:
Jemimah Rodrigues –
The 24-year-old middle-order batter, from 87 T20I innings, has amassed 2074 runs at an average of 30.50, a strike rate of 114.26, and registered the highest score of 76. Jemimah has been timing the ball brilliantly of late and has time and again stepped up with important knocks, including a 59* in a recent T20 competition, and in the warm-up games, registered scores of 52 and 30. Given her form, she can be counted on for the runs.
Radha Yadav –
The 24-year-old left-arm off-spinner, from 77 T20Is, has taken 90 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 6.55, and produced the best of 4/23. Radha, in the home T20I series, took 6 wickets from 3 T20Is, while she only managed 6 from 5 outings in the Asia Cup. She returned figures of 1/25 (2) and 0/11 (2) in the warm-up games and should be backed to find her rhythm with the ball, with the potential for a lot of purchase for spinners.
Melie Kerr –
The 23-year-old all-rounder in T20Is, from 61 batting innings, has accumulated 1161 runs at a strike rate of 111.10, and from 77 outings has picked up 78 wickets at an economy rate of 6.11, registering bests of 70* and 4/20. Melie, in her previous 3 outings, including the two warm-up games, registered scores of 40, 37, and 64*, alongside bowling figures of 1/31, 3/13, and 0/15. She will be relied upon for all-round efforts.
Leigh Kasperek –
The 32-year-old right-arm off-spinner, averaging 14.89 and maintaining an economy rate of 6.39, has 79 wickets to her name from just 51 T20Is, while she can also be more than handy with the bat. Leigh returned to the national setup earlier this year and has since had notable success, proving her mettle in the warm-up games by recording figures of 3/7 and 0/14. She can be banked upon for breakthroughs.
Pitch:
Despite a modest average score, the center strip at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium makes up a well-balanced center wicket that offers a fair contest between bat and ball. However, bowlers, both pacers and spinners, have the upper hand on this wicket.
Weather:
Dubai promises ideal conditions for the game with clear skies overhead and the chances of rain are minimal. The temperature is expected to hover around 34°C, with moderate winds and a humidity level of 58%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Yastika Bhatia, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Melie Kerr, Sophie Devine, Pooja Vastrakar, Leigh Kasperek, Renuka Singh Thakur, Lea Tahuhu
Match details:
Date – October 4, 2024
Time – 7:30 PM IST
Venue – Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Broadcast – In India, the game will be telecasted by the Star Sports Network and will be available for live streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Click here for the full list of broadcasters for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup.