Players to watch out for (Group A) ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers will get underway on 25th April 2024 and conclude on 7th May 2024. A total of 10 teams namely, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Scotland, Zimbabwe, UAE, Uganda, Netherlands, Vanuatu, USA, and Ireland. A couple of spots are up for grabs for these teams. Sri Lanka, Thailand, Scotland, Uganda, and the USA.
The two finalists will book their spot for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
Player to Watch out for (Group A):
Vishmi Gunaratne (Sri Lanka):
She was picked up in Sri Lanka’s squad for the Commonwealth Games 2022. She also played a couple of matches during the tournament. In January 2023, she was appointed captain of the Sri Lankan squad, for the 2023 ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, emerging as the team’s leading run-scorer with 134 runs at an average of 44.66. Subsequently, in February 2023, Gunaratne represented Sri Lanka in four matches at the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, contributing 60 runs to her team’s efforts.
She has scored 347 runs at a strike rate of 84.42 in 27 innings in the T20I format. Her best performance with the bat for Sri Lanka in the T20I format came on 30th March 2024 when she scored an unbeaten 65 runs at a strike rate of 114.03 in the 2nd T20I in the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa. She played a crucial role in helping her side clinch a comprehensive 7-wicket victory to level the three-match T20I series. She is a promising youngster and could potentially be the next big thing for Sri Lanka. She is one of the players to watch out for Sri Lanka.
Naruemol Chaiwai (Thailand):
The 33-year-old batter made her international debut on 3rd June 2018 in a T20I against Pakistan. She has scored 1306 runs at a strike rate of 77.32 and an average of 23.32 in 71 innings so far. Her tally of runs includes three half-centuries. Her best performance with the bat in the T20I format came on 11th February 2024 when she scored an unbeaten 83 at a strike rate of 129.68 against Kuwait in the ACC Women’s Premier Cup 2024. She played a crucial role in helping her side clinch a thumping 96-run victory. She was awarded the Player of the Match for her match-winning (83* off 64 balls) knock with the bat.
She has been one of the key players for Thailand with the bat over the years. She is also going to be a key member of the side if they are to seal their spot in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, later in the year.
Kathryn Bryce (Scotland):
She has scored 1020 runs at a strike rate of 102.82 and an average of 36.42 in 38 innings so far in the T20I format. Her tally of runs includes eight half-centuries. Her best performance with the bat in the T20I format for Scotland came on 7th September 2019 against the Netherlands when she scored an unbeaten 73 runs at an impressive strike rate of 146 in the 5th place play-off in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier.
She also has the record for the joint 6th fastest player to score 1,000 runs in the T20I format alongside the legendary former Australian skipper Meg Lanning, and the legendary West Indian all-rounder Stafanie Taylor all of whom have managed to achieve the milestone in just 38 innings.
Apart from her exploits with the bat, she has also picked up 37 wickets at an average of 15.08 and a brilliant economy of 4.35 in 39 innings in the T20I format.
Concy Aweko (Uganda):
She delivered an outstanding performance in the ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa tournament. In a moment of brilliance, she demonstrated her bowling prowess by claiming four wickets in five balls, including her first hat-trick in WT20Is. This historic achievement not only underscored her exceptional talent but also etched her name as the first cricketer from Uganda to achieve a hat-trick in a Women’s Twenty20 International match.
With 100 wickets to her name in 73 matches, Aweko’s bowling figures speak volumes of her consistency and effectiveness as a bowler. Her average of 10.01 and economy rate of 3.64 highlight her ability to contain opposition batsmen and make breakthroughs when needed. She is one of the key members of her side and definitely a player to watch out for in the Global Qualifiers.
Isani Vaghela (United States of America):
In August 2022, Vaghela’s talent caught the attention of cricket enthusiasts worldwide when she was signed as an overseas player for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League. This opportunity not only highlighted her cricketing prowess but also provided her with valuable exposure to high-level cricket competitions.
She has picked up 18 wickets in 15 innings with the ball in the T20I format at an average of 9.55 and an economy of 4.41. Her best performance with the ball came on 4th September 2023 when she returned with exceptional match figures (4-1-7-4) in her spell against Argentina. Apart from her exploits with the ball, she has also scored 94 runs in 13 innings with the bat.
Vaghela’s versatility and capability as a cricketer make her a significant asset to any team she represents.