ICC Women’s World Cup 2022: India face Pakistan on March 6

The India women’s cricket team will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the ICC Women’s World Cup at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand on March 6.

Led by their talismanic captain Mithali Raj, India will next face host New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on March 10 followed by an encounter against West Indies at the same venue on March 12.

The Indian eves are next scheduled to lock horns with defending champions England at the Bay Oval on March 16 in what’s a rematch of the 2017 Women’s World Cup final.

The eight-team tournament will then witness India play Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on March 19. Their final two group stage matches will see India face Bangladesh in Hamilton on March 22 and South Africa at the Hagley Oval in Wellington on March 27.

The top four teams in the league phase will qualify for the semi-final scheduled to be held on March 30 and 31. The winner of the two-semi-finals will face each other in the summit clash at the Hagley Oval on April 3.

India women’s cricket team will look to claim their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title. The Women in Blue had earlier reached the 50-over Women’s World Cup final in 2005 and 2017. They lost to Australia by 98 runs in 2005 and suffered a heartbreaking nine-run defeat against England in the final of the last edition of the tournament in 2017.

India women cricket team’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 schedule, fixtures and India match times

All times are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

India women’s cricket team squad for ICC Women’s World Cup 2022

Squad: Mithali Raj (captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav

Featured photo: Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP