Who are the top 10 players to watch in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024? | Cricket News

From Smriti Mandhana to Abtaha Maqsood, Al Jazeera picks the 10 players who could add shine to the UAE tournament.

Some of cricket's best talent will be on display at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, which begins on Thursday with a match between Bangladesh and Scotland in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

All 10 teams will rely on the experience of their big-name players to guide them to glory in the final on October 20 in Dubai.

Al Jazeera picks the 10 players to watch out for in the ninth edition of the tournament.

Chamari Athapathuthu: Sri Lanka

Athapathuthu will be at the forefront of Sri Lanka's tournament participation with her impressive all-round skills. The Sri Lanka captain is ranked fifth in the ICC Women's T20 all-rounders rankings and recently led her country to their first-ever Asia Cup title. The 34-year-old bowls accurately off-spin and can be an explosive batsman in the shortest format of the game. Athapaththu has made 246 international appearances since making her debut – aged 19 – in the 2006 T20 World Cup and also has extensive experience in franchise T20 cricket.

Deepti Sharma: India

Sharma will be crucial to India's chances as her country's highest-ranked bowler (2nd) and all-rounder (3rd) in the T20 format. The 27-year-old off-break bowler and left-handed batswoman has played 211 times for her country. The cool Indian star was one of the best players at the Women's Hundred tournament in England, where her monster sixes secured the title for London Spirit.

Fatima Sana: Pakistan

Sana, who made her debut in 2019 at the age of 18, is Pakistan cricket's rising star and its great hope after its difficult recent run. Although the fast bowling all-rounder is yet to score a fifty for her country, she has scored at least 20 runs in her last six international innings. The young captain will look to add more wickets to her 31 dismissals in the T20 tournaments if Pakistan are to make their mark on the tournament.

Smriti Mandhana: India

Mandhana has been a mainstay of the Indian batting line-up since her debut in 2014. The Indian vice-captain is the second-highest run-getter in T20 internationals with 56 half-centuries to her name. The 28-year-old from Mumbai led her Bengaluru team to their first Women's Premier League title earlier this year and will be looking to help India achieve the same in the T20 World Cup.

Smriti Mandhana received her first ICC Player of the Month award for her spectacular performance in June 👌

More ➡ https://t.co/jmp8DAqanM pic.twitter.com/LNSE0ylygI

– ICC (@ICC) July 9, 2024

Beth Mooney: Australia

Opening batsman Mooney currently tops the ICC T20 batsman rankings and is one of many notable players in an experienced Australian squad. The 30-year-old, who made her debut for Queensland at the age of 16, has scored two centuries and 23 fifties in 95 innings for the reigning champions.

Nahida Akter: Bangladesh

Akter is one wicket under 100 in T20 Internationals with an average of just 16. The left-arm finger spinner has a best bowling figures of 5-8 in 87 T20 Internationals despite being just 24 years old. Akter took 2-17 on his debut nine years ago as a 15-year-old against Pakistan in Karachi.

Abtaha Maqsood: Scotland

The 25-year-old is a promising leg-spinner and has already taken 54 T20 wickets at an average of 15 in 53 games for Scotland. Maqsood's contributions could take the Scottish team to the next level, especially given the spinner-friendly conditions in the UAE. The reliable spinner could make this World Cup a landmark international tournament for herself and her country as she makes her T20 World Cup debut.

Laura Wolvaardt: South Africa

Wolvaardt will look to captain her team into the finals after finishing second in the last edition. The 25-year-old has a wealth of experience, having made her debut as a 16-year-old in an ODI against England in 2016. The right-handed opening batter is fifth in the T20 rankings, her country's best in all disciplines. and has a century and 11 fifties in 66 T20 innings for her country.

Sophie Ecclestone: England

Ecclestone is the highest ranked bowler in both the ICC T20 and ODI rankings. The left-arm finger spinner has made 159 appearances across all formats for England at just 25 years of age and has 126 wickets in 85 T20 internationals, an average of just 14. Ecclestone had made her debut for her country at the age of 17 and secured the title of number one in the T20 rankings at the age of 20.

Hayley Matthews: West Indies

The West Indies captain currently enjoys the position of the best all-rounder in the world and is third in the batting rankings. Matthews' reputation long preceded her international debut aged just 16, and by the age of 25 she has already made 180 appearances for the West Indies and has two centuries and 13 fifties in 96 T20 internationals.