The 10th edition of the tournament will be the biggest yet, with 12 teams competing for the title and a record prize pool on offer. It also promises a host of significant individual milestones.
The Proteas Women have come close in recent years, losing the final to Australia in 2023 and most recently to New Zealand in last year’s showpiece.
For South Africa, all-rounder Marizanne Kapp is set to make history by appearing at her 10th consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup. Kapp is one of only seven players to have featured in every edition of the tournament since its inception in 2009.
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Veteran fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, who recently returned to the Proteas setup, is also on the brink of a major landmark. The pace ace has claimed 43 wickets in Women’s T20 World Cups.
Ismail is chasing Australian seamer Megan Schutt who has 48 scalps to see who will be the first player to reach the 50-wicket mark at the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt will head into the event with another milestone in sight.
Wolvaardt has scored three T20I centuries and is within touching distance of the all-time record of five, currently held by UAE batter Esha Oza.
Wolvaardt joins two other captains at the World Cup who also boast three T20I centuries to their name, Hayley Matthews of the West Indies and Chamari Athpaththu of Sri Lanka.
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Elsewhere, Australia star Ellyse Perry is poised to become the first player in men’s or women’s cricket to reach 50 appearances at T20 World Cups. The six-time champion has already played a record 47 matches at the tournament.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is also closing in on history. The veteran batter requires four appearances to become the first cricketer, male or female, to reach 200 T20 internationals.
Meanwhile, New Zealand great Suzie Bates could become the first player in either the men’s or women’s game to surpass 5,000 T20I runs. The White Ferns opener needs 280 runs to reach the landmark in what will be her final World Cup appearance.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
