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Nigar Sultana’s Bangladesh opt to bat against Scotland in T20 World Cup opener

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Nigar Sultana’s Bangladesh opt to bat against Scotland in T20 World Cup opener

Bangladesh opt to bat vs Scotland

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

Nigar Sultana, playing in her 100th T20I, did not hesitate when deciding to make first use of the surface in Sharjah. The sweltering heat – a high of 38 degree celsius heat, and 53% humidity – and a pitch that should play true, informed that decision in this Group B match-up. “We think it will be very good for batting, and the ball will come onto the bat nicely,” the Bangladesh captain said.

Her opposite number Kathryn Bryce stated she, too, would have opted to set a total in these conditions.

Bangladesh, having qualified as original hosts, are ranked ninth on the ICC T20I rankings, three places higher than Scotland. They have also won all four previous meetings between the two sides in this format. Sultana’s charges completed their preparations in Dubai with victory over Pakistan after losing to Sri Lanka in the warm-up matches, and are on the hunt for a first World Cup win since 2014, when they had previously hosted the tournament.

Scotland, meanwhile, will be looking to make a statement of intent in their first World Cup appearance of any kind. They earned the right by finishing as finalists in the qualifiers earlier this year, which were also played in the UAE, and were buoyed by victory against Pakistan in their first warm-up match before they also fell to Sri Lanka. Spinner Olivia Bell, who did not feature in the qualifiers, makes Thursday’s XI.

Skipper Bryce is also coming off the back of a memorable home summer, acknowledged at Tuesday’s PCA Awards when she became the first non-English winner of the Women’s Player of the Year award. It was one of four accolades for the 26-year-old, along with Domestic Overall MVP, Charlotte Edwards Cup Player of the Year, and captain of the Metro Bank Women’s Team of the Year.

That this fixture acts as the curtain raiser owes to the fact the tournament had originally been scheduled for Bangladesh. Anti-government protests across the country between July and August led to the ICC shifting hosting duties to the UAE, making this the first women’s T20 World Cup 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

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo

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