Commonwealth 2022: Women to bat n’ bowl for first time in 24 years

After a big span of 24 years, Cricket has made it back to the Commonwealth Games in the year 2022. This is going to be the first time that the multi-sport event will host women’s cricket in its arena. Cricket first appeared in 1998 CWG at Kuala Lumpur with a men's tournament.

On that occasion Shaun Pollock led South Africa and won the Gold medal, beating Steve Waugh's Australia by 4 wickets in the final. ICC hall of Famers and God of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar of India, Jacques Kallis of South Africa, and Mahela Jayawardene of Srilanka were among the many stars who studded the commonwealth. Cricket will be part of CWG for the second time at the 2022 game in the women's tournament and matches will be played under the T20 format. Background In November 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made a joint bid for a women's T-20 tournament to be included in the games.

In August 2019, the Commonwealth Games Federation announced that the bid had been successful after the voting process with women's cricket being added to the 2022 CWG. Qualification Process In November 2022 the ICC announced the qualification process for the 2022 CWG. England automatically qualifies as the host, along with the Eight highest-ranked sides as of 1 April 2021 as direct qualifiers. Eight sides will take part across 16 matches at Edgbaston, with a winner crowned, the medals finalized on August 7.

India is in Group A along with Australia, Barbados, and Pakistan, While Group B has England, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka India will play their opening game against Australia on July 29, and will play arch-rivals Pakistan on July 31. India lost to Australia in its last T20 World Cup game earlier this year. But after enjoying Success in the home series against Sri Lanka, the Indian team is confident of achieving the desired result in the Commonwealth Games.

India's CWG squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, S. Meghana, Taniyaa Sapna Bhatia (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana.

Standby: Simran Dil Bahadur, Richa Ghosh, Poonam Yadav.