Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Teams, format, venues, defending champions and more FAQs answered

The Women's T20 World Cup gets underway on 3 October in the UAE with ten teams in contention. Australia are three-time defending champions and keen to make it four.
The make-shift venues are ready and the excitement, unlike that of the men's marquee tournament or even India, Pakistan matches, is missing. That can be gauged by the fact that ticket prices have been kept as low as AED 5 ($1.36) for regular seats and premium seats begin at AED 350 ($95).The same area for the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan went for AED 6000 ($1600).
India and Pakistan will meet in the group stage of the Women's T20 World Cup as well. The hospitality tickets for the 6 October showdown in Dubai have been sold out but the general seating is available in plenty, as are tickets for most other big games.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are the designated hosts. The tournament was due to be held in Bangladesh but all that changed in the last couple of weeks when the political unrest in the country forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to look for alternatives. As countries issued travel advisories amid anti-government protests in July-August, ICC went with UAE as the host at short notice. The matches will be held in Dubai and Sharjah.
India had rejected ICC's offer to host the tournament, citing their hosting of next year's ODI Women's World Cup. Sri Lanka didn't emerge as a suitable option due to the monsoon. Zimbabwe also offered to host but the time difference would have been inconvenient to shift to Africa.

It is usually extremely hot in the UAE at this time of the year. Yet, cricket goes on unabated and has in the past. Even as day-time temperatures hover around 35 degrees Celsius, tournaments have been held in the past during this time period.
The men's T20 Asia Cup in 2022 was held in August-September. The men's T20 World Cup in 2021 was played in October-November.
At the Women's T20 World Cup 2024, there are seven double-header days during the group stage, with games to be played at 2pm and 6pm.

No. Bangladesh qualified as hosts long before the tournament was moved to the UAE.
Six other teams - Australia, South Africa, India, England, West Indies and New Zealand - have found a place on the basis of finishing in the top-six at the T20 World Cup in South Africa last year.
Pakistan were the next-best team from the ICC T20I women's rankings, while first-timers Scotland and Sri Lanka have booked a place by coming through the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers.

The 10 teams are divided into two groups of five each and will play the others in a round-robin format, with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.
Like the men's T20 World Cup earlier in the year, India have a pre-decided semi-final venue (Dubai, on 17 October), should they qualify.
The second semi-final is scheduled for 18 October in Sharjah. The final will be played on 20 October in Dubai. All the knockout games have a reserve day.

Australia women's team have won six of eight editions with a match win percentage of 80.68% (35 wins from 44 matches played). They have been to at least the semi-finals in each of eight editions.
Yet, this time in, they're not the overwhelming favourites as always. Even though they've not lost a global tournament since the 2017 ODI World Cup, clinching the T20 title February 2023 along the way, they have lost a T20I series 1-2 in England and rare home games to West Indies and South Africa. For the first time since 2020 World Cup, they were bowled out by India and New Zealand.
The challenge for everyone else will be in getting the better of Alyssa Healy's team during pressure games. India, one of the contenders for the title, have been working with a sports psychologist to get over the final hurdle.
England are in good form, having completely outclassed New Zealand and Pakistan in the summer. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are one of the most improved sides after clinching their maiden women's Asia Cup title in July.