The Spin | Women’s T20 World Cup: team-by-team guide to the tournament

With 12 teams, this is the biggest ever Women’s T20 World Cup. Photograph: Sam Mellish/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenWith 12 teams, this is the biggest ever Women’s T20 World Cup. Photograph: Sam Mellish/Getty ImagesThe Spin newsletterSportWomen’s T20 World Cup: team-by-team guide to the tournamentA run-through of the teams, key players and talking points ahead of the biggest Women’s T20 World Cup to date – and perhaps the most openRaf NicholsonWed 10 Jun 2026 10.57 BSTLast modified on Wed 10 Jun 2026 11.43 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleGroup AAustraliaCoach Shelley Nitschke Captain Sophie Molineux WT20WC best: Winners 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023Six-time champions Australia may still be the bookies’ favourites, but for the first time it’s possible to imagine a scenario where they don’t make the semi-finals - Group A is by far the tougher. By choosing left-arm spinner Molineux as their new captain in January, they’ve arguably backed themselves into a selection corner, with the leg-spinner Alana King likely to be left out of the XI despite being their most effective bowler on the recent tour of the West Indies.View image in fullscreenEllyse Perry, the great Australia all-rounder, will be playing at her 10th Women’s T20 World Cup. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PAMolineux’s own match fitness is also far from a sure thing: she has ongoing back issues, her bowling capacity may well be limited, and if she was not captain then there is no way she would be selected in this team as a pure batter. One is rather reminded of a remark from W1A’s marketing guru Siobhan Sharpe: “We are where we are, and that’s never a good place to be.”Key player Ash Gardner She was reportedly gutted not to have been made captain but, after a relatively dry spell, the all-rounder needs to accept it, move on and step up with the bat.BangladeshCoach Sarwar Imran Captain Nigar Sultana Joty WT20WC best Group stages 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024 This World Cup will be unfamiliar terr...