In a significant development for women’s cricket in the Asian region, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 ACC Women’s Premier Cup tournament to the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA). The tournament is set to take place from February 9th to 18th, 2024, across four venues in Malaysia.
Teams and Groups:
The participating teams have been divided into four groups, each consisting of four teams. The group stage will feature a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. The groups are as follows:
Group A: Thailand, Myanmar, Kuwait, Singapore
Group B: United Arab Emirates, China, Oman, Japan
Group C: Indonesia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Qatar
Group D: Nepal, Hong Kong, Bhutan, Maldives
Pathway to the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2024 :
One of the highlights of the tournament is that the winner and the runners-up will secure a coveted spot in the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2024, scheduled to take place in July (host to be announced). Additionally, the four semifinalists from the Premier Cup will qualify for the ACC Women’s Emerging Asia Cup 2025, adding an extra layer of competition and opportunity for these teams.
Previous Qualifiers and Team Rankings :
The qualification process for the ACC Women’s Asia Cup has been rigorous, with the previous edition seeing teams from the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia earning their spots through the ACC Women’s T20 Championship held in Malaysia in 2022. All matches in the upcoming Premier Cup will carry ICC team ranking points, further emphasizing the stakes for participating teams.
Squads:
Bahrain Women’s Cricket Team
Deepika Rasangika (Captain), Tharanga Gajanayake, Abeera Waris, Ashwini Munglimane, Durriya Malik, Gnei Samildeen, Manal Malik, Pavithra Shetty, Nishma Pereira, Poorvaja Babu, Sana Butt, Swarna Nunna, Sadamali Arachchige, Ishara Suhun
Japan Women’s Cricket Team
Mai Yanagida, Ahilya Chandel, Ayumi Fujikawa, Hinase Goto, Haruna Iwasaki, Shimako Kato, Elena Kusuda-Nairn, Akari Nishimura, Erika Oda, Meg Ogawa, Kurumi Ota, Seika Sumi, Erika Toguchi-Quinn
Maldives Women’s Cricket Team
Sumayya Binth Abdul Hameed (C), Aishath Meesa (VC), Hafsa Abdulla, Fathimath Shaja, Aishath Hamza Niyaaz, Haleemath Laisha, Nabaa Binthuu Naseem, Fathimath Malha, Hawwa Shaaiqa, Fathimath Maaha, Shamma Ali, Fathimath Anaal, Hawwa Ifasha, Mariyam Leen
Bhutan Women’s Cricket Team
Dechen Wangmo (C), Anju Gurung, Yeshey Choden, Sonam Choden, Tshering Zangmo, Anjuli Ghalley, Sonam, Karma Dema, Ngawang Choden, Eve Somsel Yangzom, Tshering Choden, Chado Om, Sangay Zangmo, Nidupangmo (Standby Players – Sangay Wangmo,Ngawang P Choden)
Hong Kong Women’s Cricket Team
Kary Chan (C), Natasha Miles, Alison Siu, Betty Chan, Emma Lai, Elysa Hubbard, Iqra Sahar, Lemon Cheung (WK), Mariko Hill, Marina Lamplough, Maryam Bibi, Hiu, Ruchitha Venkatesh, Shanzeen Shahzad (WK), Yasmin Daswani (WK)
Kuwait Women’s Cricket Team
Amna Tariq (C), Maryyam Ashraf, Suchitha D’Sa (WK), Venora D’Souza, Siobhan Gomez, Mariamma Hyder, Maria Jasvi, Zeefa Jilani, Khadija Khalil (WK), Glenda Menezes, Priyada Murali, Maryam Omar, Balasubramani Shanti, Madeeha Zuberi
Nepal Women’s Cricket Team
Indu Barma (C), Apsari Begam, Dolly Bhatta, Rubina Chhetry, Kabita Joshi, Asmina Karmacharya, Kabita Kunwar, Samjhana Khadka, Puja Mahato, Sita Rana Magar, Bindu Rawal, Sangita Rai, Kajal Shrestha, Roma Thapa
Singapore Women’s Cricket Team
Shafina Mahesh (C), Ada Bhasin, Riyaa Bhasin, Haresh Dhavina, Diviya G K, Devika Galia, Piumi Gurusinghe (WK), Vinu Kumar, Sara Merican, Jocelyn Pooranakaran, Johanna Pooranakaran, Damini Ramesh, Roshni Seth, Vathana Sreemurugavel
Oman Women’s Cricket Team
Priyanka Mendonca (C), Akshadha Gunasekar (VC), Amanda Dcosta, Javed Hina, Sahana Jeelany, Nitya Joshi, Sameera Khan, Trupti Pawde, Shreya Prabhu, Cynthia Saldanha, Alifiya Sayed, Sakshi Shetty, Sushama Shetty, Sani Zehra
UAE Women’s Cricket Team
Esha Oza (C), Al Maseera Jahangir, Heena Hotchandhani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kavisha Kumari Egodage, Khushi Mohan Sharma, Mehak Thakur, Rinitha Rajith, Rishitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Swarup Gokhale, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (WK), Vaishnave Mahesh
(More to follow)