The 18th match of the ICC Women’s World T20 2023 will be played between India and Ireland on February 20 at St. George’s Park in Gqeberha. The game will begin at 6.30 PM IST (3 PM LOCAL).
It will be the fourth and last league match of the tournament for both teams. While it is a must-win for India to qualify for the semi-finals if they don’t want to be much dependent on other results, for Ireland, it is a dead rubber as they are out of contention for the semi-final position.
Head-to-Head
India and Ireland have played one T20I against each other, and India have won that game.
Squads
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Radha Yadav, Renuka Thakur, Anjali Sarvani, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey
Ireland: Laura Delany (c), Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Eimear Richardson, Mary Waldron
Players to watch
Renuka Singh Thakur:
The right-arm pace sensation of India registered her best bowling figures in T20Is in her last appearance against England. She opened the bowling and scalped 5/15 in four overs. The wrecker-in-chief bowled some classic in-swingers to get rid of star English batters.
Smriti Mandhana:
The vice-captain of India starred with the bat in the last game against England. The left-handed opening batter scored 52 off 41, including seven boundaries and a six. The southpaw led the run chase from the front but perished against the run of play.
Orla Prendergast:
The right-handed top-order batter of Ireland was a treat to watch in her last outing against West Indies. She muscled 61 off 47. Her innings was laced with half a dozen boundaries and a six. She also opened the bowling and bowled her full quota of four overs, giving away 23 runs.
Gaby Lewis:
Ireland’s prolific right-handed opening batter gave a good start to her team with the bat as she scored 38 off 34 in the last fixture against West Indies. She found the fence six times in her innings. She laid a solid foundation by sharing a 90-run stand with Orla Prendergast for the second wicket.
Pitch
It will be the tournament’s fifth match at the venue. The teams batting second have won three out of the four games played here. The surface looks good for batting. However, the windy conditions may assist the bowlers in getting some movement off the pitch. An exciting contest between bat and ball is likely.
Weather
The weather is expected to be very windy in the afternoon. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 26 degrees Celsius. There will be a 27 percent cloud cover and a 25 percent chance of rain. The wind will blow from the southwest.
Fantasy Playing XI
Richa Ghosh, Gaby Lewis, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Orla Prendergast, Deepti Sharma, Laura Delany, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arlene Kelly
Match details
Date: February 20, 2023
Time: 6.30 PM IST (3 PM LOCAL)
Venue: St. George’s Park, Gqeberha
Live streaming: Star Sports Network
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.