Brief History of Sweden Women’s National Cricket Team
The Sweden women’s national cricket team competes in international women’s cricket matches for Sweden. In April 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted Women’s Twenty20 International (WT20I) status to all its members, hence Sweden’s all matches after june 2018 were given international status of WT20I.
Historical Highlights – Sweden Women’s National Cricket Team
The team played its first T20 International match against Norway on 29 August 2021, Sweden won the toss and chose to field first, and restricted Norway to just 52 runs in 12 overs. The Swedish bowlers dominated, with Neeha Kayani leading the charge with excellent figures of 3 wickets against 15 runs in her 3 overs. Sai Devata and Rashmi Somashekhar also chipped in with crucial wickets. Chasing a modest target of 53 runs, Sweden faced some early difficulties but managed to secure victory with 7 wickets in hand and 47 balls to spare. Gunjan Shukla top-scored with 15 runs, Neeha Kayani’s outstanding bowling performance earned her the first ever Player of the Match award from Sweden.
Tournament Highlights – Sweden Women’s National Cricket Team
ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Europe Qualifier in 2023:
This tournament expanded the qualification pathway for women’s cricket in Europe, introducing a second division for the first time. Sweden competed in the second division, securing one victory against Turkey but facing defeat in the other four matches. As a result, they finished fifth out of the six teams, unable to progress further in the tournament.