Australia opener Voll is the world’s No. 1-ranked batter in the shortest format.
| Photo Credit: Darrian Traynor
No sport is as enchantingly uncertain as cricket. The Women’s T20 World Cup, however, begins with a grim certainty: one of the three best teams will not last beyond the group stage.
Australia, India and South Africa are all fabulous outfits with some of the biggest superstars in the game. Australia has won six of the nine previous editions; India is the reigning ODI World champion; South Africa has contested the last three World Cup finals across formats.
Sadly, at least one of those sides will not make it to the semifinals from Group A.
Australia may be going through an inevitable stage of transition, post the retirements of long-time captain Meg Lanning and recent skipper Alyssa Healy, but it still looks the strongest, most complete side. Healy had led the Aussies admirably, from behind and in front of the stumps, after taking over from Lanning. Many of her teammates, who have known her for several years, must be missing her banter, sense of humour, not to mention her obvious skills: she had bid farewell only three months ago.
Her replacement at the top of the order hasn’t done badly, though. Georgia Voll is, in fact, the world’s No. 1 batter in T20 cricket. That is how firm the Australian bench is.
Apart from Voll, the batting boasts such proven performers as Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris. Many of them are proper all-rounders, too. Bowling has variety, in pacers like Megan Schutt, Nicola Carey and Lucy Hamilton and spinners such as Alana King, Georgia Wareham and skipper Sophie Molineux.
The South Africans may not have to deal with such a problem of plenty. But they have Laura Wolvaardt.
And the captain fantastic is in incredible form. In the five-match T20I series against India at home she had scores of 51, 54, 115, 18 and 92 not out. South Africa won 4-1: no prize for guessing which match her team lost.
South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt has been in incredible form.
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Ahead of the World Cup, South Africa got a big boost with Shabnim Ismail coming out of retirement. Her sheer pace should complement the remarkable skillset of Marizanne Kapp, who is also one of the game’s premier all-rounders.
South Africa has several other talents, such as Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Chloe Tryon and Ayabonga Khaka. They all should be keen not to give the world another reason to call their country a bunch of chokers at cricket.
Two other Asian countries are grouped with India. The expectations aren’t high from Pakistan or Bangladesh, though. Both teams possess some fine players, but they could find it tough to challenge the big three in the group. The likes of Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana and Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter have the game to take on the big girls.
The Netherlands completes the group. The Dutchmen had done their country proud at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Skipper Babette de Leede’s cousin Bas was part of that team. She would want her team to pen a similar inspiring story.
Published – June 09, 2026 10:06 pm IST
