Everything to know about the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024-25: Squads, Schedule, Broadcast

Cricketing excellence will take center stage in Karachi this May as the much-anticipated National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024-25 gets underway. Kicking off on May 7 and running through to the grand final on May 24, this edition promises high-octane action across two iconic venues – the National Bank Stadium and the Oval Cricket Ground.

Featuring five competitive teams – Challengers, Conquerors, Invincibles, Stars, and Strikers – the tournament will be played in a double round-robin format. This means each team will lock horns twice with every other side, making for a total of 20 league-stage clashes.

Two knockout fixtures, the Qualifier and the Final, round up the 22-match calendar, all of which will commence at 3:00 PM PKT. The second and third-ranked sides on the points table will battle in a Qualifier on May 22 at the National Bank Stadium, and the winner will meet the top-of-the-table team in the championship finale two days later.

The stakes are high this year with a prize pool exceeding PKR 3 million. The tournament champions will take home a handsome PKR 1.5 million, while the runners-up will be awarded PKR 1 million. Despite the investment in the women’s game, only the Qualifier and Final will be broadcast live on the PCB’s official YouTube channel.

A pool of 80 players, divided into five 19-member squads, will be trimmed down to 16 per side after a four-day pre-tournament training camp beginning on May 3. These selections will help determine which athletes will get the chance to shine under the Karachi sun.

The leadership lineup is a reflection of the tournament’s prestige, with five current national players captaining the sides – Fatima Sana (Conquerors), Gull Feroza (Strikers), Muneeba Ali (Invincibles), Rameen Shamim (Challengers), and Sidra Amin (Stars).

Amid the buzz around the tournament, the absence of veteran all-rounder Nida Dar has also made headlines. The 38-year-old announced a break from all forms of cricket to focus on her mental health. Having recently skipped the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier camp despite attending a fitness session, Dar has now stepped back from national duties altogether. Her decision to withdraw leaves a leadership and experience vacuum that the younger generation must now strive to fill.

As the tournament rolls in with the heat of summer, it also brings the fire of ambition, pride, and sporting brilliance. With stars aligning and new stories waiting to be written on Karachi’s cricketing canvas, the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024-25 is all set to be a game-changer for women’s cricket in Pakistan.

Schedule:

Squads:

Challengers

Rameen Shamim (C), Aliya Riaz, Arijah Haseeb, Arim Barkat, Fatima Shahid, Gull Rukh, Komal Khan, Mehrab Fatima, Momina Riasat, Natalia Parvaiz, Quratulain, Rabia Rani, Sadaf Shamas, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Shehar Bano, Tasmia Rubab, Yusra Amir, Zaib-un-Nisa Niaz, Zamina Tahir

Conquerors

Fatima Sana (C), Aleena Shah, Dua Majid, Esha Naeem, Farzana Farooq, Haafsa Khalid, Human Bilal, Khadija Chishti, Laraib Malik Aziz, Maham Manzoor, Mahnoor Aftab, Mahnoor Zaib, Manahil Rafiq, Najihla Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Rida Aslam, Saira Jabeen, Sana Talib, Syeda Aroob Shah

Invincibles

Muneeba Ali (C), Amber Kainat, Areesha Ansari, Ayesha Zafar, Fatima Khan, Ghulam Fatima, Haleema Dua, Iram Javed, Laiba Mansoor, Maham Anees, Mahwish Nasrullah, Neha Sharmeen Nadeem, Omaima Sohail, Saima Malik, Saiqa Riaz, Samina Aftab, Shabnam Hayat, Tania Saeed, Yusra Athisham

Stars

Sidra Amin (C), Aima Saleem, Amna Bibi, Anosha Nasir, Esha Rahuputo, Fareeha Mehmood, Fatima Zahra, Haniah Ahmer, Huraina Sajjad, Kaynat Hafeez, Laiba Fatima, Neelam Mushtaq, Sadia Iqbal, Samiya Afser, Sana Urooj, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan, Waheeda Akhtar, Zunaira Shah

Strikers

Gull Feroza (C), Aleena Masood, Aliza Sabir, Anam Amin, Ayesha Bilal, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Fajar Naveed, Muqadas Bukhari, Noreen Yaqoob, Rehmat Noreen, Sabiqa Shahzadi, Soha Fatima, Syeda Masooma Zahra, Umm-e-Hani, Warda Yousaf, Wasifa Hussain, Zoofishan Ayyaz, Zunish Abdul Sattar

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