The three-team Women's T20 Challenge will be back after a one-year gap, with defending champions Trailblazers taking on Supernovas and Velocity.
The Women’s T20 Challenge will be back after a year’s gap, with the BCCI confirming the teams, the playing squads and dates and venues for the short and sharp event due to coincide with the final week of the IPL 2022.
The triangular event will pit team Velocity, Trailblazers and Supernovas against each other in a single round-robin format, followed by a final. The tournament will be held between May 23-28 in Pune.
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A total of 12 overseas stars from Australia, England, West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh and Thailand will mingle with 36 top Indian cricketers selected by BCCI’s senior women’s selection committee for the Women’s T20 Challenge.
The Trailblazers, who broke Supernovas’ two-year successive winning streak, are the defending champions for this year’s event after clinching the coveted title back in November 2020 in Sharjah. The tournament was not held in 2021 due to logistical issues after the Indian women’s tour of Australia clashed with it.
Star Sports will be providing the live television broadcast for the Women’s T20 Challenge, with its digital app Hotstar offering the fans live streaming option.
Pune’s MCA Stadium will host the four-match tournament, which kicks-off with an opener between Trailblazers and Supernovas. The Supernovas will then face off against Velocity, who will conclude the league round with the match versus the Trailblazers. Top two teams will contest the final.
May 23 – Trailblazers versus Supernovas – IST 7:30 PM
May 24 – Supernovas versus Velocity – IST 3:30 PM
May 26 – Velocity versus Trailblazers – IST 7:30 PM
May 28 – FINAL – IST 7:30 PM
In a major change from the last edition, Deepti Sharma will be replacing stalwart Mithali Raj as captain for Velocity after remaining tight-lipped on her future since the end of the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand.
Raj also didn’t take part for Railways in the domestic T20 campaign in playing capacity, opting to instead mentor the side. Fellow India great Jhulan Goswami was also unavailable for the triangular event.
Among established Indian stars, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Singh will continue to lead Trailblazers and Supernovas, respectively, leading star-studded line-ups for the tournament.
The roster of twelve overseas stars will be divided equally among all three teams, with Sophie Ecclestone and Sophie Dunky being the leading cricketers from England. While Ecclestone was the top wicket-taker of the World Cup in New Zealand, Dunkey will head to India after a match-winning ton in the final of the Fairbreak Invitational T20 tournament on Sunday (May 15). Kate Cross, their national teammate, will also take part in the triangular.
Alana King will be the only Australian taking part in the event, with Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus and Laura Wolvaardt being the South African representatives. West Indies’ Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews will also turn out for the competition, along with Bangladesh’s Salma Khatun and Sharmin Akhter.
Rising associate Thailand will make their presence felt via Natthakan Chantham. Sri Lankan player Chamari Athapaththu was not available due to her international commitments on the coming tour of Pakistan.
Velocity: Deepti Sharma (c), Sneh Rana (vc), Shafali Verma, Ayabonga Khaka, Kiran Navgire, Kate Cross, Keerthi James, Laura Wolvaardt, Maya Sonawane, Natthakan Chantham, Radha Yadav, Aarti Kedar, Shivali Shinde, Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Pranavi Chandra
Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (c), Poonam Yadav (vc), Arundhati Reddy, Hayley Matthews, Jemimah Rodrigues, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, S Meghana Saiqa Ishaque, Salma Khatun, Sharmin Akhter, Sophia Dunkley, Sujata Mallik, Shradda Pokharkar
Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Taniya Bhatia (vc), Alana King, Ayushi Soni, Chandu V, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Meghna Singh, Monica Patel, Muskan Malik, Pooja Vastrakar, Priya Punia, Rashi Kanojia, Sophie Ecclestone, Suné Luus, Mansi Joshi
