LISTICLE
Follow UsYou know all the big guns, but here are some lesser-known players who could play a vital role for their team at the Women’s T20 World Cup in the Middle East.
Sajeevan Sajana - India
Sajeevan Sajana instantly made it to the Mumbai Indians women’s folklore on debut when she smashed a six off her first Women’s Premier League ball with five runs required off the last ball.
Read: Sajeevan Sajana - Remember the name!
While Sajana is 29, she’s barely played international cricket (10 WT20Is). With all eyes on the other players in India’s squad, she showed her prowess at the 2024 WPL with 87 runs at a strike rate of 158.18.
Watch out, her trailblazing batting might be of some serious use for the national team during the competition.
Qiana Joseph - West Indies
With conditions tilted towards spin in the UAE, Qiana Joseph could play a vital role for the West Indies.
She was quite a menace for the batters at the recently concluded Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), where she picked up six wickets, maintaining an ER of 4.75.
In addition, she has consistently scored double-digits—five in her last five games—so the 23-year-old could come in handy for the Windies in their pursuit of winning the T20WC again.
Shorna Akter - Bangladesh
The 17-year-old has all the tools to be a key player for Bangladesh at the upcoming T20 World Cup. Despite making her debut in only 2023, the leg-spinner has already picked 13 wickets, averaging a staggering 18.60 with the ball.
Shorna’s contribution with the bat has been consistent, too, with her having scored 248 runs at an average of 15.50 and strike rate of 86.41. Her numbers with the bat highlight her ability to make valuable contributions with her secondary skillset.
Darcey Carter - Scotland
All-rounders are always worth their weight in gold, aren’t they? Darcey Carter is one such name for Scotland. Over the last two years, the offie has picked up 15 wickets, averaging under 13 while maintaining an economy of 5.54.
It isn’t just her bowling, however, that makes Carter an enticing pick. The 19-year-old is quite a handy option with the bat in hand as well, with her having scored 335 runs across 16 innings, mostly opening the batting for Scotland.
Her last two games were in the middle order, however, which could be where she might bat in the upcoming event.
Tayla Vlaeminck - Australia
What makes Tayla Vlaeminck unique is her ability to bowl at an express pace. If not for the multiple injuries, she’d still be one of the highly sought-after bowlers in world cricket. The 25-year-old has marked her return to the Australian setup after impressive displays against Bangladesh.
In her last two matches, Vlaeminck has picked up four wickets, including a career-best figure of 3/12 against Bangladesh in the third T20I.
Fran Jonas - New Zealand
At 20, Fran Jonas has more than enough international experience, having already played 32 T20Is. The left-arm orthodox spinner has been quite handy for the Sophie Devine-led White Ferns setup, with 25 wickets at an economy of 5.75.
Her fluent and efficient actions got her to the White Ferns in the first place, and that’s what has also allowed her to keep herself relevant. While all eyes will be on Melie Kerr, you can’t ignore Jonas.
Seshnie Naidu - South Africa
Seshnie Naidu is one of those rare players who have been thrown into the deep end.
The 18-year-old, who only made her debut against Pakistan just weeks before the T20 World Cup, showed that she has all the skillset to succeed at the highest level. The leg spinner finished with figures of 1/25 on debut.
Part of Dolphin’s successful Women’s One-Day Cup team, Naidu scored a vital 25 in the final against the Lions. With the ball, while she is still raw, the leg-spinner has already scalped 21 wickets in the List A format, including a four-wicket haul. In T20s, she has picked up 11 wickets @ 17.00.
Vishmi Gunaratne - Sri Lanka
There are talents, there are good talents, and then there is Vishmi Gunaratne. When she was just 17 in 2022, Vishmi made the headlines with an unbeaten 138 and a 128-ball 417 for Rathnaweli Balika Vidyalaya in the Under-19 women's tournament organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association.
At 19, she’s already played over 40 T20Is and has amassed 720 runs. Last month, she became only the second Sri Lankan batter in WODI history to score a ton.
Hence, it could very well be a campaign where the youngster could rip open bowling units. It goes without saying that she will have an eye on improving that strike rate of hers (92.30).
Charlie Dean - England
If you know Charlie Dean only because of the run-out at the non-striker’s end, then that’s bad.
The 23-year-old was fast-tracked into the national setup at the age of 20. Since then, she hasn’t looked back with consistent displays for the national team. Across the 29 T20Is that she has played, Dean has picked up 36 wickets at an impressive average of 17.88.
While she might not be an X-factor like, say, Sophie Ecclestone, her role could be profound when England travel to the Middle East. With the bat as well, Dean has quite an impressive record (126 runs @21 and SR of 112.50).
Tuba Hassan - Pakistan
While Tuba Hassan has had a terrible start to her ODI career, the leg spinner’s numbers in the shortest format are quite impressive.
Over the last two years, Hassan has been one of Pakistan’s most impressive bowlers in T20Is, with 16 wickets at an average of 27.68. Even in the first T20I against South Africa, the leggie operated with desirable control, giving away just 25 runs off her four overs.
Watch out for her come the T20 World Cup.
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