India captain Harmanpreet Kaur included in Women’s T20 WC team of the tournament

New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been included in 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup team of the tournament, which includes champions New Zealand and runners-up South Africa being represented by three players each, along with players from West Indies, Bangladesh, England and Australia.

Though India didn’t enter the semi-finals under her leadership, Harmanpreet ended the tournament with 150 runs in four matches and being dismissed just once in four innings. The right-handed batter also made unbeaten half-centuries against Sri Lanka and Australia at Dubai and Sharjah respectively.

The team includes New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who picked up Player of the Match in the final as well as the Player of the Tournament trophy. Amelia, 24, took 15 wickets – the most by any player in an edition of Women’s T20 World Cup – and scored 135 runs, including top-scoring with 43 in the final to help New Zealand lift the trophy for the first time.

She is joined in the side by her team-mates – pacer Rosemary Mair, who took 10 wickets at an average of 11.70, including three in the final, and off-spinner Eden Carson, listed as 12th player in this team after picking nine wickets.

South Africa’s opening pair of captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits - the two highest run-scorers in the competition – have been selected too. Laura was remarkably consistent, with four scores of 40 or above including a best of 59 not out in the opener against West Indies and ending with a tally of 223 runs at 44.60 and strike-rate of 113.19 in six innings.

Tazmin, meanwhile, made 187 runs in total with a best of 57 not out. They are joined by England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who scored 151 runs in four innings. She top-scored with 41 in England’s opening victory against Bangladesh before important knocks of 43 and 51 not out in wins over South Africa and Scotland respectively.

The side also has left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, who took wickets in all six matches she played in, taking 4-29 against West Indies and 3-12 against Scotland. She also earned the key scalp of Tahlia McGrath in South Africa’s semi-final win over Australia and took two wickets in the final.

Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana has been slotted in as the wicketkeeper-batter, after leading her side to their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup victory for 10 years against Scotland and impressed with the bat against both West Indies (39) and South Africa (32 not out).

Australia pacer Megan Schutt is also selected following her becoming the highest wicket-taker in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history. Megan took her wickets tally to 48 with eight scalps in this tournament, including three for three against New Zealand, and had an economy rate of just 4.07 in the tournament.

West Indies pair of big-hitting all-rounder Deandra Dottin and leg-spinner Afy Fletcher complete the line-up. Deandra, who came out of international retirement in 2022 to feature in the competition, made 120 runs and took five wickets.

She also struck nine sixes, six more than the next highest by an individual player. On the other hand, Afy took 10 wickets at an average of 11.50, including three apiece against England and Scotland. She also took two scalps against both Bangladesh and New Zealand.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deandra Dottin, Nigar Sultana (wk), Afy Fletcher, Rosemary Mair, Megan Schutt, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Eden Carson (12th player)

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