Australia Look To Cement Dominance In Women's T20 World Cup

Australia are hot favourites for their seventh title at the women's T20 World Cup starting Thursday in their first tournament appearance since the retirement of four-time tournament-winning captain Meg Lanning. New skipper Alyssa Healy faces a challenge in the United Arab Emirates, leading a team that has only failed twice to win the 20-over trophy since the competition was first staged in 2009. The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has been a member of all six of Australia's prior title wins but said she was entering this year's tournament with "no real expectations". 

"It's the best against the best and whoever can be most consistent or win those little moments along the way can get the job done," Healy wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council's website.

She nonetheless said her team was brimming with young talent, naming up-and-coming all-rounder Annabel Sutherland, 22, and batting phenomenon Phoebe Litchfield, 21, as players to watch. 

Australia face formidable rivals India and New Zealand in their group. They arrive in the UAE fresh from a 3-0 T20 sweep of the Kiwis. 

India's prospects have been buoyed by the runaway success of the Women's Premier League at home since the 20-over competition's inaugural season last year. 

"If I talk about this team, we have a few players who have been playing for a long time and they know their roles really well," skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said.

"This is the best team we are going for a T20 World Cup with."

India finished runners-up in 2020 and lost in the semi-finals in 2018 and 2023.

New Zealand's Sophie Devine will step down as captain at the end of the tournament after playing in every World Cup, earning two runner-up finishes.

"The T20 World Cup's been an important