Sports

Women’s cricket to make its debut in the quadrennial games; India, Australia to lock horns in the opening match

This is the first time that women's cricket will feature at the Commonwealth Games

November 13, 2021

For first time women’s cricket featured at Commonwealth Games

India to play the game with Australia in the opening of the women’s cricket T20 competition on July 29 at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

T20 World champions Australia will take on runners-up India in the opening match.

This is the first time that women’s cricket will feature at the Commonwealth Games.

Cricket was last played in a multi-sporting tournament in 1998. The men’s tournament was held at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In August this year, the ICC confirmed that the “campaign to get cricket back into the Olympic Games is on.”

The only time cricket was a part of the quadrennial event was in Kuala Lumpur (1998), when a men’s ODI competition was held, and South Africa won.

The India-Australia match will be followed by Pakistan facing Barbados, the national team confirmed to take part from the West Indies.

Hosts England will play their first match on July 30, against a qualifier, who will be decided by a qualifying tournament in early 2022.

All matches will be at Edgbaston.

Apart from the qualifier, the teams taking part are Australia, India, Pakistan, Barbados (all in Group A), New Zealand, South Africa, and England (Group B, along with qualifier).

While the group stage matches in the eight-team competition will take place until August 4, the semifinals will be played on August 6. The final and the playoff for the bronze medal will take place on August 7.