Three Weeks of World Cup Cricket — And What a Ride It's Been
After three exhilarating weeks of Women's T20 World Cup cricket, we're nearly at the business end of the competition. There have been centuries, boundary festivals, match-winning spells, and some truly breathtaking moments in the field. As a former coach, I've watched plenty of tournament cricket, but this one has thrown up performances that would grace any format at any level. Now it's time to reflect, debate, and pick a team of the tournament.
The semi-finals are looming, and before we get to the knockout stages, I want to lay out my XI — and challenge you to do the same. The format is straightforward: two openers, three middle-order batters, two all-rounders, and four specialist bowlers, with your wicketkeeper drawn from either the top or middle of the order.
The Openers: Setting the Platform
Any team of the tournament has to start with players who've consistently given their side a platform at the top of the order. England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been one of the most eye-catching performers with the bat when it comes to aggressive, fearless stroke play. She's the kind of opener who puts the opposition on the back foot from ball one, and in T20 cricket that mentality is worth its weight in gold. From an odds perspective, strong opening partnerships have been one of the clearest indicators of a side's outright chances in this competition — watch how far teams with settled openers progress.
Australia's Kim Garth has also been a compelling presence in this tournament, and while she's more naturally associated with the ball, her contributions across the board make her a genuine contender for multiple slots in any best-XI conversation.
The Middle Order and All-Rounders: Where Tournaments Are Won
India's Deepti Sharma is someone I'd be building my team around. She's the complete package in T20 cricket — capable of accelerating in the middle overs with the bat and delivering controlled, intelligent spin when called upon. In my coaching days, I always valued players who gave you two bites of the cherry, and Deepti is precisely that sort of cricketer. Her ability to read conditions and adapt makes her one of the most valuable players in the women's game right now.
The all-rounder slots are arguably the hardest to fill in this exercise, because so many players in this tournament have contributed in multiple disciplines. That's a sign of how far the women's game has developed — squad depth and versatility are no longer a talking point, they're a reality.
The Bowlers: Wicket-Takers and Economy Queens
Four bowler slots sound generous until you realise how many exceptional performers have emerged from this tournament. The standout spells have been genuinely match-defining, and the economies recorded by some of the leading seamers and spinners would be impressive even in bilateral series cricket, let alone a World Cup knockout environment. When selecting your four, consider the balance between wicket-taking threat and the ability to strangle a batting side during the middle overs — both qualities have proved decisive in 2026.
Now It's Your Turn — Pick Your XI
This is the beauty of a tournament team of the tournament debate: everyone's got a case to make. Whether you prioritise impact performances, consistency across the group stage, or the players who delivered in pressure moments, there's no single right answer. The BBC have set up an interactive selector where you can put together your own XI, with the results revealed during the final on 5 July.
The Women's T20 World Cup has given us plenty to argue about in the best possible way. Get your thinking caps on, pick your team, and let the debate begin.
