In the opening day fixtures of the 2023 edition of the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Twenty20 (T20) Trophy, East and West Zone teams are set to lock horns. The match is set to be held at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on the 24th of November, 2023, at 11:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
East Zone – Ashwani Kumar, Dhara Gujjar, Madhuri Mehta, Indrani Roy (WK), Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Deepti Sharma, Jintimani Kalita, Mita Paul, Priyanka Acharjee, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Mamta Paswan, Priyanka Sarkar, Saika Ishaque, Titas Sadhu
West Zone – Jemimah Rodrigues, Riya Chaudhari, Humairaa Kaazi, Saima Thakor, Sayali Satghare, Manali Dakshini, Devika Vaidya, Tejal Hasabnis, Bhavna Goplani, Gautami Naik, Jaya Mohite, Yastika Bhatia, Hani Patel, Radha Yadav, Jayshree Jadeja
Players to watch out:
Madhuri Mehta
The 32-year-old batter built on a decent start to the recently concluded Senior Women’s T20 (SWT20) Trophy, finishing with scores of 81 (63) and 54 (53) in a 178-run season from 6 outings, striking at 105.32. The team will rely on the seasoned campaigner to lead the side from the front, continuing the form she’s in.
Mita Paul
The 28-year-old all-rounder had a decent campaign in the SWT20 Trophy, contributing 94 runs from 8 outings while picking up 11 wickets from 9 outings. Mita wasn’t at her best with the bat in the SWT20, and her team will expect her to convert her starts while continuing to deliver with the ball, showcasing all-rounder abilities.
Humairaa Kaazi
The 30-year-old all-rounder had an outstanding run in the 2023 SWT20 Trophy, amassing 258 runs from 10 outings, striking at 113.15, and averaging 32.25. The team will hope Humairaa’s confident form carries forward into the Inter Zonals. Although she wasn’t required much with the ball in the SWT20, she could prove to be very handy if called upon to bowl in this competition.
Hani Patel
The 25-year-old left-arm pacer picked up 11 wickets at 9.90 from 7 outings in the ’23 SWT20 Trophy, maintaining an economy rate of 4.95. Hani claimed several key wickets in the senior T20 competition, and it’ll be worth tracking her progress in this competition as well. The team will rely on her to create early inroads and set the right tone.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium pose a challenge for batters, offering ample assistance to the bowlers, especially the spinners. To post a match-winning total in the 150s, the batters will need to demonstrate adaptability to excel on this pitch.
Weather:
The conditions at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium are favorable for a game of cricket as the radar is all bright with no expected rain. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 25°C, with light winds and humidity of 58%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Madhuri Mehta, Humairaa Kaazi, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Mita Paul, Gautami Naik, Saika Ishaque, Titas Sadhu
Match details:
Date – November 24, 2023
Time – 11:00 AM IST
Venue – Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Broadcast – T.B.C.
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