T20 World Cup Final: Preview

This Sunday will be a huge occasion for Women’s Cricket. India and Australia will battle it out to become T20 World Cup Champions.

Here are some stats to get you warmed for the all important final:

• India and Australia have played 4 T20 matches in the last one month. Both teams have won 2 matches each. The Final is going to be tightly contested final with both teams equally matched.
  
• This is the 1st time Indian Women’s team has reached a T20 World Cup Final. Australia on the other hand are 4 time Champions. They are also the current defending Champions.
  
• India’s top scorer in the tournament: Shafali Verma – 161 runs
  Australia’s top scorer in the tournament: Beth Mooney – 181 runs
  

• Most wickets for India: Poonam Yadav – 9 wickets
  Most wickets for Australia: Megan Schutt – 9 wickets
  
• 8th March is Indian Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s birthday. A victory for Team India will even be more sweeter for the Captain.
  
• India will look to end a 7 year wait for a major ICC trophy in cricket. The last ICC trophy India won was 2013 Champions Trophy.
  
• The World Cup organizers are looking to break the record for the highest turnout at a women’s sports match. The current record is 90,185. It is held by 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final between USA & China. To add to the occasion, it is International Women’s Day. The Women’s T20 World Cup final has a great shot at breaking this record. Already more than 75,000 tickets have been sold.

Preview: India has won all its 4 matches in this tournament. India has been to a flying start in all the matches thanks to Shefali Verma. Indian top players Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur have not yet fired. No better occasion than the Final to set up and perform. India’s strength has also been its bowling. The trio of Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma & Shikha Yadav have managed to trifle opposition. All 3 have managed an economy of less than 6 for the tournament.

Australia on the other hand are on their home soil. Their fast bowler Megan Schutt has been in hot form and has provided timely breakthroughs. Australia’s top order of Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney is most formidable in the world. Australia will be missing World No. 1 all rounder Ellyse Perry as she has been ruled out due to injury.

So, where can you watch the Final?

The match is LIVE on Star Sports and Hotstar from 12:30 PM on Sunday. Leave everything you are doing on Sunday and cheer for Team India. It is going to be a cracker of an occasion.

Weather:

Thankfully the weather is supposed to be sunny through out the day with only 1% chance of rain.