Match no. 20 of the ongoing 2023 edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier will feature a clash between Kuwait and Thailand at the Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur. The game will be played on the 4th of September, 2023, and gets underway at 11:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Drawn in group B, alongside Hong Kong, China, and Myanmar; Thailand remains unbeaten with two successive wins, while Kuwait has won one game and lost the other.
Squads:
Kuwait – Amna Tariq (C), Priyada Murali (VC), Maryyam Ashraf, Angel Gabriella D’Costa, Suchitha Lita D’Sa (WK), Raelyn D’Souza, Siobhan Gomez, Mariamma Hyder, Iqra Ishaq (WK), Maria Jasvi, Zeefa Jilani, Khadija Khalil (WK), Glenda Menezes, Maryam Omar, Balasubramani Shanti
Thailand – Naruemol Chaiwai (C), Natthakan Chantam, Nattaya Boochatham, Nanthita Boonsukham, Kanyakorn Bunthansen, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Rosenanee Kanoh, Suwanan Khiaoto (WK), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (WK), Phannita Maya, Thipatcha Putthawong, Chanida Sutthiruang, Sornnarin Tippoch
Players to watch out:
Siobhan Gomez
The 31-year-old batter, in 28 Twenty20 International (T20I) outings, has accumulated 177 runs, including her best score of 36. Siobhan had a decent start to her campaign, registering a score of 25 in the opener against China. However, in the following game, she was dismissed without scoring. Siobhan is a key batter for Kuwait and runs off her blade will be awaited.
Maryam Omar
The 30-year-old all-rounder, with 26 T20I appearances, has scored 433 runs and taken 20 wickets, including respective bests of 54 and 4/14. As expected, Omar has been a standout performer for the side in the competition. Although she hasn’t excelled with the bat, she has compensated for it with the ball, producing figures of 3/9 and 1/11.
Natthakan Chantam
The 27-year-old batter, in 72 T20Is, has scored 1569 runs at a strike rate of 90.79 and registered her best score of 88*. Natthakan started her campaign with a fine fifty (54*) in the opener against Myanmar and followed it up with an unbeaten score of 11. Natthakan has singlehandedly guided Thailand to successive wins in the tournament, and her current form makes Thailand the favorites in the Qualifiers.
Nattaya Boochatham
The 36-year-old all-rounder, in T20Is, has scored 551 runs in 51 innings and has bagged an impressive 98 wickets in only 71 games. Nattaya wreaked havoc in the opener, setting a new career-best with figures of 5/5 (4) against Myanmar. She continued her brilliance with another outstanding spell against China, finishing with figures of 2/2 (3).
Pitch:
The wicket at Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur, heavily favors the bowlers, particularly the pacers, who receive ample support from the 22-yard strip. Batters have found it challenging to score freely on this wicket resulting in an average score of 71 at this venue.
Weather:
With showers forecasted throughout the match duration, there is a possibility of rain playing spoilsport and potentially resulting in a washout. The temperature is expected to be around 28°C, with light winds and a humidity level of 86%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantam, Naruemol Chaiwai, Nattaya Boochatham, Amna Tariq, Chanida Sutthiruang, Maryam Omar, Phannita Maya, Mariamma Hyder, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong
Match details:
Date – September 4, 2023
Time – 11:00 AM IST
Venue – Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur
Broadcast – All games of the tournament will be live-streamed on ICC.TV and the FanCode app and website.