6 min readNew DelhiOct 6, 2024 02:37 PM IST
First published on: Oct 2, 2024 at 10:01 PM IST
The official hashtag for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is #WhatEverItTakes, based on the tournament’s anthem by Indian all-girl pop group W.i.S.H. It is also, of course, a line made hugely popular in recent years as the catchphrase in Avengers: Endgame, where a group of superheroes go through a whole lot of trouble to save the universe. The stakes might not be as high at the World Cup, but it is fitting in the sense that a few teams will be looking to do whatever it takes to show that the women’s game is at a level unlike ever before.
The stage is set for possibly the best World Cup in terms of the quality across the teams, and if you were looking to start following women’s cricket, there is no better time to get on the bandwagon. The tournament is being played in Asian, somewhat alien, conditions to most teams, levelling the playing field. The T20 leagues have helped players from other countries raise their skills and match up with the elite. Australia’s most successful title-winning captain has retired, and there will be a serious battle for the throne that the world’s best team has occupied for the past three editions.
Meg Lanning’s shoes won’t be easy to fill and Alyssa Healy will have her task cut out. Australia will start as favourites still, but there will be teams – including India – gunning to show it’s not a one-team show anymore. “Ten teams are sitting on the stage here today that deserve to be here and have a real shot of winning this World Cup,” Healy said on Captains’ Day. “You don’t come here to defend a title, that’s not what a World Cup is about, you come here to win it, so we’re here with that approach and I’m excited to get underway.”
“Look, the Australian team is good, no doubt about that,” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said. “And we also know one thing – India is one of the teams, which can go hard at them. That is a really positive sign. We know that whenever we are playing against them and if we play our best cricket, we can beat them any day and any time.”
Close, but no cigar
If anyone knows the feeling of coming close to relinquishing the trophy from Australia’s grasp, it is Harmanpreet – her run out last year in the semifinal gave Australia a win when a defeat seemed certain. India also outplayed Australia like few teams have, albeit in a one-off, in a bilateral matchup recently. In terms of the quality of players, each team boasts of a superstar or three.
“Some of the players who will go down as all-time greats like Smriti Mandhana, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry will be in action at the World Cup. The competition is not limited to only 2-3 teams anymore,” Poulami Das, a software engineer who has been following the women’s team closely since the 2017 World Cup, told The Indian Express. “In the past few years, teams like Sri Lanka and Pakistan have beaten the big teams, making women’s cricket more competitive and fun to watch. Leagues like WPL have brought great entertainment and hype to the game with increased fan banter. Australia and England haven’t dominated in the last year like they used to, this can be anyone’s World Cup, and there will be a few surprises.”
For Ritwika Dhar, a hard-core Mithali Raj fan who draws sketches of her favourite cricketing moments, there is no doubt the game is at its best level. “Being a women’s cricket fan for about ten years, I can’t emphasise enough how there has never been a better time to be a women’s cricket fan,” Ritwika, a recent English literature postgraduate, said. “Female cricketers have become household names. In the top-tier leagues, the top cricketers as well as newcomers from the interiors, have equal access to world-class facilities to hone their skills. The increased professionalism has bridged the gap, it is without a doubt going to be the most fiercely contested World Cup yet.”
Indeed, the shrinking of the women’s game in terms of the skillset spectrum has been hastened by more leagues propping up. The WBBL has been around for a decade and was, perhaps still is, a big reason for Australia’s enviable depth. But two seasons of WPL has revolutionised the game, especially in terms of the money that was pumped into the league. The women’s Hundred has arguably been a bigger hit than the men’s version.
“While there is still a gap between the best and the rest, the lower-ranked teams haven’t stood still, with their own improved national contracts and steps toward domestic professionalism,” John Leather, women’s cricket statistician said.
“For example. Sri Lanka, who were forced to go 631 days without a game after the pandemic, have been the most active team since the previous World Cup, playing a total of 31 matches that included lifting the Asia Cup. That Ireland, who recently beat Sri Lanka as well as England, were unable to qualify points to the growing depth.”
For all we know, Australia could still end up showing their status as the best in the business but either way, their task won’t be easy. The rest of the world is readier than ever to step up. Whatever it takes.
Captains pose with the World Cup Trophy. (ICC/X) 
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