5 things to look forward to 2024 Women's Asia Cup
The 2024 Women's Asia Cup is scheduled to take place from July 19 to July 28 in Sri Lanka. Seven-time winners and defending champions India will face Pakistan on the opening day of the tournament, which features eight teams in total.
Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been placed alongside India and Pakistan in Group A. The second group comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand. The format will see the top two teams from the group qualify for the semi-finals. All matches are scheduled to take place at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
The tournament will be played in the T20 format, much like the previous edition in Bangladesh. It includes all of the semi-finalists from the ACC Women's Premier Cup, an alteration that was announced in March 2024.
On that note, let us take a look at five things to look forward to in the 2024 Women's Asia Cup.
#1 Smriti Mandhana's red-hot form
Team India's opening batter and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana arguably comes into the tournament as the most in-form batter in the world. She had a dream home series against South Africa, scoring three hundreds and two fifties to be crowned as player of the series. After a rather lean 2023, she began 2024 by leading the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) women's team to the 2024 WPL title.
Her form is crucial for India to defend the title. With Shafali Verma's shaky white-ball form, the onus is on Mandhana to lead from the front and give India a positive start in the tournament and beyond. She did not have the best of campaigns during the previous Asia Cup and will be looking to make the most of the upcoming edition.
#2 Team India's middle order conundrum
Most of Team India's T20I batting lineup is more or less locked in with the likes of Mandhana, Varma, and Harmanpreet taking up three of the five spots. However, there is still a little indecision over Jemimah Rodrigues' position, a debate which is only intensified with the way Dayalan Hemalatha has shown promise at No.3 while the injured Yastika Bhatia is also a candidate for the spot.
Rodrigues has batted at No.3 for the majority of her career, compiling 1492 runs in 59 innings at a strike rate of 110.19 and an average of 30.44. However, she has grown more comfortable in the No.5 role in recent times, particularly due to her stint with the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women's Premier League (WPL).
With Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp occupying the No.3 and No.4 slots in the league, Rodrigues has had to come in at No.5, and has had success in the role.
#3 Teams preparing for the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup in subcontinent conditions
The teams partaking in the 2024 Women's Asia Cup will have one eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup, which takes place in Bangladesh in October. Given that the ICC event will take place in subcontinent conditions, the upcoming tournament in Sri Lanka comes across as an excellent avenue for teams to play competitive matches in similar conditions.
Spin bowling will be in focus in the tournament, and a trend of low scores could be on offer as well. Sti Lanka recently hosted West Indies for a white-ball series, and the T20I series in particular witnessed quite low totals, with the highest total in the entire series being 142.
#4 Pakistan settling into life after Bismah Maroof
The Nida Dar-led Pakistan outfit last made it to the finals of the women's Asia Cup in 2016. Their recent fortunes have not been too bright either, beginning with the 2023 Women's World Cup, where Pakistan only won one game in the group, leading to Bismah Maroof resigning as captain.
The veteran eventually retired in April 2024, having played her last game in December 2023, and handed over the reins to Nida Dar. The Women in Green have struggled in 2024, recording heavy series losses against the West Indies and England.
#5 Free entry for fans
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that the upcoming 2024 Asia Cup will be free for the fans to come in and watch at the venue.
"All the games will be broadcast live across international platforms, and the stadium will be kept open for the public to enter for free in order to witness the games," a media release stated.
The popularity of women's cricket is at an all-time high at the moment, especially in the big three nations, with T20 leagues playing a huge factor in the rise. However, it is yet to be completely witnessed in other nations. The incentive of free tickets might just be the push that the game needs to be popular in Sri Lanka.
The island nation has witnessed jam-packed crowds when the men's team have participated, resulting in atmospheres close to being the best in world cricket. While the women's Asia Cup might not result in such euphoria, even a fraction of it would go a long way.