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The ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup is upon us. It will be Bangladesh Women squaring off against Scotland Women in the opening game of the competition to kickstart the tournament at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE.
Over the years, Australia has been a dominant force in the tournament having won six out of the eight T20 World Cups so far. They have been the champions on the last three occasions and will be hoping to add one more to their kitty. The Aussies will again start the campaign as outright favorites given the variety and the class of players they have.
Teams like England and India have the ability to challenge them but overall, they are still very much the strongest on paper and it will take something really special from the other teams to knock them off from the pinnacle. The conditions in the UAE are expected to be belter for the batters with spin being expected to play a massive part.
With the tournament slated to kick off from October 3, let us predict three bowlers who end up picking the most wickets in the tournament.
#3 Deepti Sharma
One of the most integral part of the Indian set-up, Deepti Sharma will be eager to make a significant impact in the T20 World Cup. She will hold the key if India are to script history and win their first ICC title in women’s cricket. Deepti is one of the world's finest off-spinners and can dismantle any batting line up on her day.
She has the guile and deception and has all the traits to be India’s trump card in the World event. Deepti is not afraid of tossing the ball and her continuity in sticking to her plans makes her an indomitable force in world cricket. She picked wickets regularly during the Hundred's competition.
Even on docile pitches, she made things happen. Conditions in UAE are expected to be conducive for the spinners which certainly brings Deepti into play. If India end up doing well, she has all the prospects of finishing as one of the leading wicket takers of the tournament. India will kick start their campaign against New Zealand on October 4.
#2 Georgia Wareham
Wrist spinners are the most sought-after cricketers in T20 cricket and one such bowler who could be decisive in the competition will be Australia leg spinner Georgia Wareham.
She gives the ball a proper tweak and seems to have all the bases covered as a wrist spinner. The ball comes out of her hand perfectly and she has a deceptive googly to bamboozle the opposition batters.
She was regularly among wickets in the Hundred's competition and also bagged four crucial wickets in the three-match series against the New Zealand, orchestrating a 3-0 series win. Conditions in UAE are expected to benefit the wrist spinners and hence Wareham became one of the go-to bowlers for the Australian captain Alyssa Healy.
She has to use her carefully and make sure she contributes in the best possible manner. Wareham is a terrific bowler in the middle overs and could end up taking a truckload of wickets in the World Cup. Australia begins their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on October 5.
#1 Sophie Ecclestone
Not many would dare to leave out Sophie Ecclestone from this list. She is one of the most decorated bowlers in world cricket and is expected to be one of the leading wicket-takers of the competition. At the age of 25, Ecclestone has established herself as arguably the greatest finger spinner in women’s cricket and her exceptional record is a testimony to her credentials.
Ecclestone was the most successful bowler in the previous T20 World Cup in 2022, ending the tournament with 11 wickets in five games. You will hardly see, the left arm orthodox spinner going for runs and the wickets tally just keep getting better and better.
She had a wonderful time in two editions of the WPL as well. She wasn't at her supreme best during the Hundred but she is too good a bowler to be left out for this list. The former champions will start their campaign against Bangladesh on October 5.
