Bangladesh, led by Nigar Sultana, chose to bat first against Scotland in their T20 World Cup opener.

Bangladesh choose to bat vs Scotland

In the opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first against Scotland.

Nigar Sultana, marking her 100th T20I appearance, confidently opted to take advantage of the conditions in Sharjah. With temperatures reaching a scorching 38 degrees Celsius and humidity at 53%, along with a pitch expected to be favorable for batting, this seemed the ideal choice for the Group B clash. “We believe the pitch will be good for batting, and the ball should come onto the bat nicely,” the Bangladesh captain explained.

Scotland’s captain Kathryn Bryce mentioned that she, too, would have preferred to bat first given the circumstances.

Ranked ninth in the ICC T20I rankings, Bangladesh are three spots ahead of Scotland. They’ve had the upper hand in this format, winning all four of their previous encounters. After qualifying as the original hosts, Bangladesh wrapped up their preparations in Dubai, beating Pakistan following a loss to Sri Lanka in warm-up matches. They are eager to secure their first World Cup win since hosting the tournament in 2014.

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For Scotland, this match marks their debut in any World Cup tournament. They qualified for this event by reaching the finals of the qualifiers earlier this year, which were also held in the UAE. A victory against Pakistan in their first warm-up game gave them a boost, although they fell to Sri Lanka in the next match. Spinner Olivia Bell, who missed the qualifiers, is part of Scotland’s starting XI for Thursday’s game.

Captain Bryce, fresh off a standout home season, was recently recognized at the PCA Awards, becoming the first non-English winner of the Women’s Player of the Year award. The 26-year-old also secured three other accolades, including Domestic Overall MVP, Charlotte Edwards Cup Player of the Year, and the captaincy of the Metro Bank Women’s Team of the Year.

This opening match was originally meant to be held in Bangladesh, but due to anti-government protests in July and August, the ICC moved the tournament to the UAE, making it the first women’s T20 World Cup to be held at a neutral venue.

Bangladesh: Shathi Rani, Murshida Khatun, Sobhana Mostary, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Taj Nehar, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter.

Scotland: Saskia Horley, Sarah Bryce (wk), Kathryn Bryce (capt), Alisa Lister, Priyanaz Chatterji, Darcey Carter, Lorna Jack-Brown, Katherine Fraser, Rachel Slater, Abtaha Maqsood, Olivia Bell.

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