ICC Chairman Jay Shah has described the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup as the biggest edition till date. He highlighted the record-breaking viewership and global viewership ahead of the final. The final will be played between England and Australia at Lord’s.
London [यूके]July 5 (ANI): International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah said that the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set to be the biggest edition of the tournament in its history. He highlighted the record-breaking attendance and global television and digital viewership ahead of the final between England and Australia.
In a post on X, Shah said that the tournament has fulfilled its ambition of setting new standards for fan participation around the world. Shah wrote, “Our ambition was to make this #T20WorldCup the biggest tournament ever, and with record-breaking crowds and huge viewership around the world on TV and digital, we have achieved it. Best wishes to England and Australia, who will undoubtedly put up a spectacular showdown in the final at Lord’s.”
Brainstorming on teams’ strategy and playing XI
Meanwhile, according to an ICC media release, the hosts have made only one forced change during the tournament, with Sophia Dunkley batting at number three in place of captain Nat Siver-Brunt in the three group stage matches.
At the same time, six-time champion Australia has used 14 players from its 15-member squad to reach the final. With this, the world number one ranked team has been able to field eight bowlers in a single match.
Selection dilemma for Australia
This creates a selection dilemma for Australia and Sophie Molineux, as Alanna King, who has a strong track record against England, has not been a part of Australia’s last two matches. According to an ICC media release, Molineux said, “We are certainly [किंग के खेलने पर] Will consider. Unpredictability is a big part of T20 cricket, but at the same time you have to trust what we have. We have eight or nine bowlers in our 11 at the moment. Kingi is definitely in the running, and we will consider it and make sure we make the right decision on that front.”
England’s stable playing XI
England have not made any guarantees on their eleven for Sunday’s final, but the world number two have played the same team in every match in which Siver-Brunt has been available. There appear to be no concerns over his fitness as he used innovative techniques, including seven hours of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Therapy, to prepare for the semi-final against South Africa, where he scored 75 to set the stage for England’s victory.
It is impossible to know whether England would have made any other changes had Siver-Brunt remained fit throughout the tournament, with young bowlers Issie Wong, Lauren Filler and Tilly Courtenay-Coleman the three players who did not get a match. So, for England, the potential challenge is not which XI to choose, but how they pose a new challenge to Australia.
New captains face the challenge of winning the World Cup
Siver-Brunt said, “We have a bowling group that has the skill to bowl anywhere. The batting line-up has been explosive in different moments, in the powerplay, in the death overs or in between. I think it’s two teams that have played against each other a lot, and so we hope we know the opposition very well, and they know us very well. I think when it comes down to it, it’s about “Depends on who can present their skills better that day. The message has been to enjoy ourselves and stick to the skills we are working on.”
He further added, “If we need to go to a different plan, for the bowlers, they have been practicing it throughout the tournament and will be ready to implement that on the pitch. I think it’s just about being in the moment and knowing that we have Plan B, C and D if needed.”
England made a major change in their leadership as Charlotte Edwards, herself a T20 World Cup winner at Lord’s in 2009, came in as coach and Siver-Brunt replaced Heather Knight as captain. Molineux, meanwhile, has taken over the captaincy from Alyssa Healy, who retired earlier this year, having been a part of every T20 World Cup win for Australia.
Neither captain has allowed themselves to think about what a World Cup win would mean for them personally and for their team. Molineux said, “If we win tomorrow, there will be a chance to look back and think, but we still have one thing to do, and that is to play our best cricket. Captaining the team has been like a whirlwind; it has been amazing so far, and I have really enjoyed it.”
For Siver-Brunt, keeping out outside noise has been important, although she has told her players to feel the noise of a packed stadium when they take the field for the final. He said, “It’s going to be a big occasion, but that’s why everything we’ve done so far, everything we’ve worked on, is to try to get us to this point. We embrace it and try to enjoy the day as much as we can, live in the present and enjoy ourselves.” (ANI)
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