The Women’s T20 Challenge final is all set to be played between two teams that have done well and managed to keep their NRR above Mithali Raj’s Velocity who won the title last season. The grand finale is now set to be played between the Trailblazers and the Supernovas at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Cricket is a team game and there are no doubts regarding the fact but every team has at least 2-3 players who are expected to perform in every game or they do perform in every game. Let’s see who will be the top 5 players to watch out in the final.
1) Chamari Athapaththu
A lot of eyes will be on the Supernovas opener who has been in staggering form this season. She has been one f the few consistent players in the competitions and her numbers are proof of that. Having not played since the T20 World Cup in March, Athapaththu is ahead by a fair margin after the three-game stages.
The Sri Lankan has 111 runs in two matches, ahead of the Supernovas skipper Harmanpreet who has 62 runs in the tournament. Her 48-ball 67 was pivotal in a Supernovas must-win game against the Trailblazers and she will definitely be one of the players to look for in the final.
2) Deandra Dottin
The West Indian all-rounder didn’t really get to bat much in her first game although she scored 2 runs more than what she scored in her second. Her explosive batting will be important for the Trailblazers to make their mark in the game and set a foundation to win the final.
As an all-rounder, she would be hoping to help with the bowl too. However, she did not bowl in her previous game and it seems that it will remain the same way in the final too. Dottin’s batting can cause serious damage to the supernovas who would want to make it two out of two against Smriti Mandhana’s Trailblazers.
3) Sophie Ecclestone
The top-most ranked women bowler did not have the best of the games against the Supernovas when wickets are concerned. However, her economy was up to the mark and that’s what makes her more lethal in the upcoming finals.
Her bowling was key in dismantling Velocity, where she took four wickets, giving only 9 runs in 3.1 overs. Her pace will be a challenge for a lot of batswoman in the game and if Supernovas expose their middle-order of lower middle-order against her then there’s no coming back. Also, having played the same opponents in their last game, Sophie will hopefully have a plan in mind.
4) Jhulan Goswami
The Indian veteran fast bowler has done exceedingly well in the Women’s T20 Challenge. She has 3 wickets in two games and her economy has been below 5, something that is very rare in T20s. Despite losing to Supernovas in their previous game, Goswami will look to team-up with Sophie Ecclestone and cause severe problems to Harmanpreet and Co.
5) Harmanpreet Kaur
The Supernovas skipper may have not been in the best of her forms but she has yet managed to soak any kind of pressure in the middle overs. Converting her 30s into 50s will be something she would target as it is the final and a crucial knock here would make everyone forget all her recent struggles.
Even though the Trailblazers skipper has not made it to the list, there are no doubts regarding Mandhana’s potential. She scored 33 in her previous game and looked in decent touch. She would be hoping to bounce back stronger with an innings that eventually leads to her team winning the title.
featured image credits-CircleofCricket