Women’s cricket is at the centre of attention after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the five franchises for the first edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and India’s success in the inaugural Under-19 Women’s World Cup. The excitement is expected to reach new heights during the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup.
Hosts South Africa will face Sri Lanka at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, in the Women’s T20 World Cup opener on Friday. With cricket fans putting their prediction skills to the test on Yolo247, India’s top online gaming platform, we list the top teams to bet on during the eighth edition of one of the most popular women’s cricket events.
Australia: The Firm Favourites
Australia heads to South Africa as the favourites to lift the World T20 title. The defending champions, who have won the title a record five times, lost just one T20I fixture in the 2022 calendar year. The Meg Lanning-led Australia won a three-match series in England and gold at the Commonwealth Games. They capped off the year with a stellar 4-1 win over India.
Tahlia McGrath is a key member of Australia’s 15-member squad.The all-rounder, who won the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022 award, scored 435 runs and took 13 wickets in 16 matches in 2022. Australia captain Meg Lanning, wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney, and spinners Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner will be keen to continue their exploits from last year.
Did you know? Australia has reached the final in six of the seven Women’s T20 World Cups.
India, England, and New Zealand: The Challengers
Team India fans have high expectations from the Women in Blue. The 2020 runner-up was the only team to beat Australia in the shortest format last year and grabbed silver in the Commonwealth Games. The Women in Blue rely heavily on Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. The opening batting duo scored more than 1100 runs between them in 2022. All-rounder Deepti Sharma, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, pacer Renuka Singh, and Jemimah Rodrigues will play an integral role in the starting 11.
England will want to begin 2023 on a high after missing out on a medal at the recent Commonwealth Games held at home. Right-handed batter Sophia Dunkley was excellent for England, collecting 425 runs in 17 innings. Meanwhile, the likes of Danni Wyatt, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, and Katherine Brunt make England a formidable side to bring home a second Twenty20 title.
Did you know? England has won all five of their meetings against India in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
New Zealand has failed to reach the semi-finals in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup. However, they had an excellent 2022, winning the Commonwealth Games bronze medal and series victories over the West Indies and Bangladesh. Sophie Devine is the Kiwis’ pillar of strength, while there will be big expectations from Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Jensen, and Fran Jonas.
South Africa: The Hosts
Sune Luus-led South Africa will be keen to repeat their 2020 T20 World Cup performance. The Proteas reached the semi-finals three years ago. But in the absence of Dane Van NieKerk, the African outfit faces a tough challenge this time around. The hosts are paired with Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. With the crowd completely behind them, South Africa could pull off a surprise in the eighth edition.
T20 Women’s World Cup Prediction: Pundits have picked Australia to win a record sixth title. Meanwhile, England, India, and New Zealand will likely reach the semi-finals.
Betting on the best cricket teams demands expertise, study and a dash of intuition. Furthermore, to acquire the greatest winning rates, you should start with a reputable betting site like Yolo247.
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