Image Credit- Getty
Certain images can say more than words ever could.
Imagine Katy Perry sharing the winners’ podium with Meg Lanning’s triumphant Australian team in 2020, in front of a record 86,174 spectators at the MCG.
The chance to contribute to the iconic photos and moments of the sport—for which one works assiduously for years, even decades in the case of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Marizanne Kapp—will be contested on Sunday between South Africa and New Zealand.
After defeating Australia, the team who broke their hearts on a beautiful afternoon in Cape Town last February, South Africa now has their second chance at glory in two years, while New Zealand has their first after 14 years.
Their paths to the World Cup final have been fairly comparable. plenty of heartwarming victories that left us in awe. And losses that raised doubts about the pathway arrangements, which haven’t exactly been able to match the standards set by Australia and England as a transition approaches. That’s why their participation in the summit clash is encouraging for the growth of women’s sports.
Dubai is extremely important to both clubs. Under Aiden Markram’s leadership, South Africa won their only medal at a World Cup here in 2014—either senior or junior. This served as the focal point of New Zealand’s most recent heartbreak in the finals of the men’s T20 World Cup in 2021.
Irrespective of what happens in the grand finale on Sunday, the women’s T20 World Cup will have a new winner.
Ellyse Perry’s boot stopped Sophie Devine’s absolute rocket of a hit fourteen years ago in Barbados, preventing a boundary that would have forced the T20 World Cup final into a Super Over. Devine has persevered through both highs and lows despite the passing of a generation. She has a unique chance to close off her career as captain with the greatest crowning achievement on Sunday.
Several quarters had sharply criticised Anneke Bosch’s batting up until the semi-final since she was scoring less than a run per ball. Despite being aware of it, the team management stuck with her because they thought a significant setback was imminent. She will be hoping for another memorable inning after an unforgettable performance.