Mithali Raj will be eager to get her hands on a maiden title in what would be her last hurrah for India at the world stage, Heather Knight will hope to defend it while Meg Lanning seems primed to lead Australia to a seventh crown when the ICC Women's World Cup gets underway in Mount Maunganui on Friday. The tournament, which was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be played across six venues with the ICC deciding that teams will stay in a 'managed environment' instead of stringent bio-bubbles. The marquee event will be played in the league format, where all eight teams will face each other once with the top four sides qualifying for the semifinals.
India, who were runners-up in the last edition and in 2005, open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan, while hosts New Zealand, who won the title in 2000, will take on West Indies in the tournament opener.
Australia, the most successful side with six titles, will meet defending champions England, who have been crowned champions four times.
The month-long event will see young stars and veterans come together. While the likes of Mithali, Jhulan Goswami, Suzie Bates and Megan Schutt will look to add to their already glittering legacies, teenagers including Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, Fran Jones and Darcie Brown will be eager to make one.
Here's a look at the eight contenders:
Australia
Hurt by the shock semifinal loss to India in 2017, six-time champions Australia have left no stone unturned in their quest for an unprecedented seventh title.
Such has been Australia's dominance in the past four years in the 50-over format that the Southern stars have lost just one ODI in their last 30 games.
Labelled favourites, Australia head to the World Cup on the back
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