T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur and Co face tricky to start to the campaign as fixtures are announced

India will, on paper, start as favourites alongside Australia in Group A. New Zealand have struggled in recent times, with a 1-4 T20I series loss at home against England highlighting their troubles. But the side has matchwinners in their ranks like captain Sophie Devine and star allrounder Amelia Kerr, more than capable of causing an upset or two, which could be enough to reach the semifinals.

The ICC Women’s #T20WorldCup 2024 in Bangladesh to commence on 3 October with the final slated for 20 October.

Details 👉 https://t.co/MRtx7UXXPM pic.twitter.com/v4jBsD0gIe

— ICC (@ICC) May 5, 2024

The marquee Asian rivalry will renew at the T20 World Cup on October 6, as India take on Pakistan.

That India are playing a five-match series in Sylhet now against Bangladesh should help them assess conditions quicker as they are scheduled to play all of their group-stage matches at the same venue.

Group B features hosts Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and a second qualifier, and those matches will be played in Dhaka. England and West Indies are the only two other teams to have won the title, with Australia winning six out of the eight editions so far. India have reached the final once when they took on the Aussies in front of 86,000+ fans at the MCG in Melbourne.

Australia have won a hat-trick of titles now, and India will be one of the teams hoping to end that streak, given the subcontinental conditions could potentially challenge the powerhouses. The last time Australia didn’t win the trophy was when India were hosts in 2016.

🗓️ Mark your Calendars! 🥳

A look at #TeamIndia‘s fixtures for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup later this year in Bangladesh 🙌#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ymTtJjpsBk

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) May 5, 2024

The top two teams from Group A and Group B will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for October 17 in Sylhet, and October 18 in Dhaka. The T20 World Cup champions will be crowned at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on October 20.

“I’m thrilled at the prospect of competing in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year,” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur told ICC. “The growth of women’s cricket over the past few years and especially Women’s World Cups have been incredible. I am sure this event will be no different with competitive and high-energy cricket to entertain the world.”

After the ongoing series against Bangladesh in Sylhet, India are set to host South Africa in a multi-format series in June and July. The white-ball matches of the series will be held in Bengaluru while the one-off Test is set to take place in Chennai. There is also the Women’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka before the World Cup begins. The Asia Cup will be held in Dambulla from July 19 to 28, with India grouped with Pakistan, UAE, and Nepal. These two assignments should act as ideal preparation for captain Harmanpreet and coach Amol Muzumdar as they plot their path to ending the wait for an elusive ICC trophy.

India’s group-stage schedule for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (all matches in Sylhet and at 6.30pm IST)

Oct 4: India v New Zealand

Oct 6: India v Pakistan

Oct 9: India v Q1

Oct 13: India v Australia