3 reasons why West Indies can win the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup

The West Indies knocked England out of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 with a scintillating six-wicket victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, October 15.

This victory also ended the Windies' 13-game winless streak against England in this format and set them up for a semifinal date with New Zealand in Sharjah on Friday, October 18.

Hayley Matthews' girls look determined to go all the way this year, and very few teams look like they can match them. After an early defeat to South Africa in the tournament, the Windies recovered extremely well to win their next three games.

In this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why the Windies can win the Women's T20 World Cup 2024.

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#1 They have a lot of match-winners in their team

One of the biggest reasons why the Windies are expected to win the World Cup is due to the presence of several match-winners in their side. Skipper Hayley Matthews, for the first time, is not the only star in the team.

Deandra Dottin is a trusted name in their middle order. Newcomer Qiana Joseph, who earned plaudits for her half-century (52) against England on Tuesday, is another player who can turn the tables on their opponents. Stafanie Taylor is a big name, too.

The presence of so many match-winners should help the Windies acclimatise and adjust quickly to whatever new conditions they are thrown into. These players also are known to thrive under pressure.

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#2 They have learnt their lessons after the early defeat to South Africa

One of the best things the Windies have done is learn their lessons after the massive 10-wicket defeat to South Africa in their first game of the tournament. After being restricted to 118 for six in 20 overs, the West Indies saw South Africa chase the target down in 17.5 overs with ten wickets in hand.

The Windies have since improved their batting and their performances underline the consistency. In the three matches that they played after the debacle against South Africa, they beat their opponents by six wickets, eight wickets and six wickets, respectively. Their improved batting has been the cornerstone of these wins.

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#3 They have made good use of the powerplay

Another major factor that has worked well to the Windies' advantage in the World Cup is their usage of the powerplay while batting. This was expressed with brutal alacrity in their game against England on Tuesday.

With the experienced Stafanie Taylor ruled out of the match, Joseph was slotted at the top of the order to partner Matthews and the duo tore into their opponents' bowling attack right from ball one.

The Windies amassed 67 runs in the powerplay, eclipsing the highest total in the first six overs set by England against Scotland earlier in the tournament. If they continue to grab each game by the scruff of its neck, success will be certain.

In a T20 game, scoring quick runs in the powerplay is of utmost importance, and the West Indies have displayed their wares well so far. All that is needed now is for them to continue in the same vein of form.