T20 World Cup: Bangladesh will look to make a winning start to their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign when they take on tournament debutants Netherlands in the fifth match of the competition at Edgbaston on Sunday.
The Group 1 encounter pits an experienced Bangladesh side against a Netherlands team making its maiden appearance at a Women's T20 World Cup. While Bangladesh have established themselves as regular participants in global ICC events, the Dutch side will be eager to mark their historic debut with a statement performance.
Bangladesh enter the contest as favourites, backed by a spin-heavy attack that has been the cornerstone of their success in recent years. The side will rely on the likes of Rabeya Khan, who has been among the wickets consistently, while batters Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akhter are expected to anchor the innings.
For the Netherlands, Sterre Kalis and Babette de Leede will shoulder the responsibility with the bat, while Isabel van der Woning will lead the bowling attack. The Dutch side has shown resilience in recent outings and possesses enough firepower to challenge more established opponents. Head-to-head records also favour Bangladesh, who have won both previous meetings between the two teams. Bangladesh have averaged 128 runs across those encounters, highlighting their dominance in the matchup.
The experience gap between the sides could prove decisive, especially on the World Cup stage, where handling pressure often becomes a key factor. However, the Netherlands will view the contest as an opportunity to test themselves against higher-ranked opposition and potentially spring an early surprise. With Bangladesh aiming to begin their campaign on a positive note and the Netherlands eager to create history in their first World Cup appearance, an intriguing contest awaits at Edgbaston.
When: Sunday, June 14, 3:00 PM IST
Where: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Where to watch: The BAN vs NED match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.
Squads:
Where to watch: The BAN vs NED match will be broadcast on Star Sports channels, with JioHotstar live-streaming the game.
Also Read: Live Cricket Score
Netherlands: Babette de Leede (c), Caroline de Lange, Frédérique Overdijk, Hannah Landheer, Heather Siegers, Iris Zwilling, Isabel van der Woning, Lara Leemhuis, Myrthe van den Raad, Phebe Molkenboer, Robine Rijke, Rosalie Lawrence, Sanya Khurana, Silver Siegers, Sterre Kalis