In the 19th match of the 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup Global Qualifier, Sri Lanka and the United States of America, will take center stage at the Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi. The game is scheduled for 9:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 3rd of May, 2024.
Squads:
Sri Lanka – Chamari Athapaththu (C), Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshi de Silva, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera, Achini Kulasuriya, Hansima Karunaratne, Kawya Kavindi, Inoshi Fernando, Sugandika Kumari, Sashini Gimhani
United States of America – Sindhu Sriharsha (C), Anika Kolan (VC), Aditiba Chudasama, Disha Dhingra, Gargi Bhogle, Geetika Kodali, Isani Vaghela, Jessica Willathgamuwa, Jivana Aras, Pooja Ganesh, Pooja Shah, Ritu Singh, Saanvi Immadi, Sai Tanmayi Eyyunni, Suhani Thadani
Players to watch out:
Vishmi Gunaratne
The 18-year-old top-order batter, from 30 T20I appearances, has amassed 457 runs, including the highest of 73*. Vishmi warmed up for the competition registering a 49*, and though she departed for 13 in the competition opener, she followed up with scores of 24* and 73*. Vishmi has looked in sublime touch in the games so far and will be banked upon for the runs.
Sashini Gimhani
The 15-year-old left-arm wrist spinner earned a maiden call-up to the senior team on the back of impressive performances in a recent Under-19 series on home soil. Sashini, in a warm-up game, returned figures of 3/12 (3) and further impressed on her international debut, recording figures of 2/23 (4). She can be relied upon to produce breakthroughs.
Sindhu Sriharsha
The 35-year-old keeper-batter has accumulated 503 runs from 26 T20I innings and registered the highest of 74*. Sindhu hasn’t had the best of outings of late, managing scores of 26, 0, and 10 in her previous 3 outings. However, she is among the best batters on the team and will have the backing of the team to find her footing, building on her starts.
Aditiba Chudasama
The 17-year-old off-spinner, averaging 11.18 and maintaining an economy rate of 3.74, has bagged 11 wickets from 9 T20Is. Though Aditiba hasn’t scalped many wickets in the ongoing ICC event, she has been consistently economical and effective, returning figures of 0/10 (4), 2/25 (4), and 0/16 (2.2). She also is a handy batter and can be counted on for the goods.
Pitch:
The center wicket at Tolerance Oval offers a relatively balanced deck as the conditions favor both batters and bowlers. Bowlers, especially spinners, gain an advantage from the conditions, and a score in the 150s is considered challenging on this track.
Weather:
With light winds, humidity at 54%, and the temperature forecasted to hover around 28°C, the conditions are pleasant for cricket. The overhead is expected to be sunny, and the chances of rain are minimal.
Fantasy playing XI:
Anushka Sanjeewani, Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu, Kavisha Dilhari, Geetika Kodali, Isani Vaghela, Inoka Ranaweera, Inoshi Fernando, Kawya Kavindi, Aditiba Chudasama
Match details:
Date – May 03, 2024
Time – 9:00 PM IST
Venue – Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on FanCode and ICC TV.