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England had a disappointing start to the tournament as they were defeated by South Africa in their opening game of the World T20. After three wins on the trot, England qualified for the Semi-finals. The Indian team qualified for the semi-finals undefeated with victories over Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The match will be held on the 5th of March in Sydney. England has the upper hand over India as they have won the last 4 of their 5 T20 encounters against the Indian team.
In the second semi-finals, South Africa who topped Group B and will be facing the runners-up of Group A, Australia. The second semi-finals will also be held on the 5th of March.
5 players to watch out for in the first semi-finals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup for 2020 are as follows:
#1 Heather Knight
The England team bounced back strongly after losing their opening game against South Africa. Heather Knight led from the front as she scored an unbeaten century in their second game against Thailand. She followed that up with a half-century in the next game against Pakistan which England won by 42 runs. However, Knight missed out in the last group game against the Windies as she was dismissed for 17 runs.
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In the tournament so far Knight has scored 193 runs at an average of 64.33. Prior to the World Cup, Knight had an impressive run in the Tri-Nation Series which comprised of Australia, India and England. She is also the first female cricketer to score a century in all three formats of the game.
Apart from her batting, Knight is also very handy with the ball and is definitely a player to watch out for. The Indian bowlers will be looking to dismiss her early in the innings.
#2 Natalie Sciver
Natalie Sciver has had a tremendous run in the ongoing T20 World Cup where she has scored 3 half-centuries in 4 games. Sciver is also the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 202 runs in 4 games.
Sciver had top-scored in England's last group game against the Windies with 57. Sciver's 57 took England to a total of 143 for 5 at the end of their 20 overs. She was named the Player of the Match for her 57 as England won the game by 46 runs. In the Tri-Nation Series Sciver had scored a half-century against India which guided England to a 4 wicket win.
#3 Poonam Yadav
Poonam Yadav is one of India's most experienced players and is also the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. In the tournament so far, Yadav has picked up 9 wickets with a stunning average of 9.88 and a strike rate of 10.6.
Yadav had starred for the Indian team in their opening game against hosts Australia where she dismissed the dangerous Alyssa Healy for 51. She followed Healy's wicket with the wickets of Rachael Haynes, Ellyse Perry, and Jess Jonassen. She ended with figures of 4 for 19 in her 4 over spell. She produced another impressive performance against Bangladesh in the next game with figures of 3 for 18.
She has played a pivotal role in India's qualification to the semi-finals and will play even a bigger role in the Indian team's quest to keep the threat of Heather Knight and Natalie Sciver at bay.
#4 Shafali Verma
The 16-year-old batting sensation Shafali Verma has played a predominant role in India's unbeaten run at the World Cup. Shafali got the team off to a thunderous start in all the group games. She has so far scored 161 runs in 4 matches. With her fearless batting upfront, it won't be long before we see her convert one of her starts to a big innings. Shafali registered scores of 29,39, 46 and 47 in the group games against Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
Shafali has become an integral part of the Indian team since making her debut in September 2019. Verma is also the youngest player to score an international fifty. She will be looking to continue from where she left off in the group stages in the semi-finals.
#5 Sophie Ecclestone
Sophie Ecclestone is currently leading the bowling charts of the England team and is also the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 8 wickets. Ecclestone played a major role in England's win over Pakistan and West Indies. She emerged with figures of 2 for 12 against Pakistan.
In the last game against the Windies, Ecclestone picked up 3 wickets in 3.1 overs while conceding only 7 runs. She has been the pick of the bowlers for the England team and has been one of their most economical bowlers. Apart from being economical her bowling average of 6.12 is the best in the tournament.
Ecclestone will be looking to dismiss the dangerous opening duo of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana early on.
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