Commonwealth Games Cricket 2022: 3 teams that can win the Gold medal
The momentous T20 tournament will commence on the 29th of July and will be culminated with the final on the 7th of August in Birmingham.
Updated - Jul 26, 2022 1:16 pm
A new chapter is about to open in Women’s cricket as they are set to feature in the Commonwealth Games for the first time in its history in 2022. The multi-sport tournament is going to feature cricket for only the second time after a hiatus of almost 24 years in Birmingham. Women’s cricket was part of the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, with Pakistan winning the Gold on both occasions.
The historic tournament in Birmingham will commence on the 29th of July and will feature eight teams, divided into two groups of four. The seven-day long tournament will be played in the T20 format and will feature 16 matches, hosted by Edgbaston. Although it is expected to be a hotly contested affair with the Gold medal at stake, some teams are the favorites going into the tournament.
Here are three teams who can win the gold medal in the competition:
1. Australia
The dominant force in Women’s cricket, Australia are at the summit of the rankings in all formats of the game and are one of the bookie’s favorites to clinch the gold at the quadrennial sporting event. Led by their enigmatic leader Meg Lanning, Australia got their hands on the seventh World Cup title earlier this year, defeating arch-rivals England in the final.
The Aussies are also the most successful T20I team in women’s cricket, with five World Cup titles to their name in seven editions of the tournament, a testament to their superiority. The reigning champions will face off against India in the opening fixture of the tournament.
Beth Mooney is the lynchpin in the batting order for the Women in Yellow alongside skipper Meg Lanning, the pair are the highest ranked T20I batters in the ICC rankings. The emergence of Ashleigh Gardner has been fruitful for them, who will be vying to make a mark in the tournament alongside the mercurial Ellyse Perry from the all-rounder contingent.