South Africa vs West Indies
South African team: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon
West Indies Team: Hayley Matthews (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton
Tournament form guide: South Africa and the West Indies lost both of their pre-tournament warm-up matches, although South Africa’s loss was more surprising. They were bowled out for 92 runs against New Zealand to lose by eight wickets and could not get close to their target of 145 against India. West Indies’ defeats came against teams ranked much higher than them. They first lost to India by 20 runs and then to Australia by 35 runs, both times struggling to chase 140 runs.
Short stories: South Africa finished top of the 2023 T20 World Cup and will be looking to continue their form in the tournament after a 2-1 away win against Pakistan. Despite a poor record of losing 7-14 against the West Indies, South Africa have won three of their last four T20Is against them. The West Indies, too, are coming off the back of a 2-1 series in Sri Lanka, though that was back in June. South Africa may struggle with the selection of 18-year-old Seshnie Naidu along with Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus. It is expected to be a hot afternoon in Dubai, with the temperature reaching 37°C at the time of the toss. It won’t cool down much or it’s game over.
Player to watch: He last played a T20I in August 2022. Since then, he has played franchise cricket around the world, retired from international cricket, and made a comeback. Deandra Dottin is a power player, not just a hitter. His presence in the West Indies line-up will be a huge boost for them who need to start on a winning note if they want to enter the semi-finals.
Team India: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan Sajana
Team New Zealand: Sophie Devine (captain), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Short stories: Two players have been named in the Indian squad on merit: allrounder Shreyanka Patil and wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia. Both of them played both warm-up matches, which bodes well for India. Head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed on the eve of the match that captain Harmanpreet Kaur will bat at number 3, as was the case in the two warm-up matches. He has scored only five times since the start of 2019. The last time was against Ireland in the 2023 T20 World Cup when India’s opening batting lasted 9.3 overs. New Zealand come into the tournament on the back of a 10-match T20Is losing streak, most recently beaten 3-0 by Australia, their second match. Therefore, they will be desperate for a win on Friday to push for a place in the semi-finals. If India made a late call about their No.3, New Zealand decided to move their hard-hitting skipper Sophie Devine to the mid-off late on, with Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates to open. Both teams are expecting heavy rain in this evening’s game, so the toss could play a big role.
Player to watch: Shafali Verma has worked on his mental game, worked on his consistency, and is trying to mature into a complete batsman. If he can balance his early batting instincts with consistent performances from the first game itself, he can play a vital role in giving India a start that matches his nickname in the dressing room for his style of batting: Dhaakad (running).
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