WT20WC 2024 Day 11 Preview: India blockbuster against Australia in Sharjah

A pair of big matches await in Sharjah on Sunday as England take on close neighbours Scotland and India face-off against reigning champions Australia on a day that will shape who reaches the knockout stage.

England v Scotland

Match Centre and Scorecard

England v Scotland, Sunday 13 October (14:00 local), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Unbeaten England have been in excellent touch at the T20 World Cup and will fancy their chances of keeping their unbeaten status in check when they tackle winless Scotland during the afternoon contest.

England's spin-heavy bowling attack will be tough for Scotland to handle, while top-order batters Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier will once again try and get their side off to a fast start during the batting Powerplay.

Scotland have only scored more than 100 once at the tournament thus far and will be keen to get some support for the Bryce sisters and Saskia Horley at the top of their batting order.

If Scotland can form a few decent partnerships at the top of their order they may be able to post a decent total, but neighbours England might prove too strong given the depth they have at their disposal.

What They Said

England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt: "Two wins out of two we're pretty happy. We've got about a five-day gap now until our next game, so yeah, taking that time to reset, have a couple days off and then go again. I mean we'll take it each game as each game as it comes and yeah not get too ahead of ourselves but yeah, we've obviously got some strong opposition coming up."

Scotland all-rounder Priyanaz Chatterji: "I mean It's a big game for us, I guess Scotland and England always have a fair share of rivalry. But I think, being at this tournament, the first one was pretty special. I think we don't normally get to sing our anthems before the games, so that was very special and to be honest, any time we get the chance to represent our country and sing the anthem is very, very special."

The Squads

England: Heather Knight (c), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Linsey Smith, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Bess Heath

Scotland: Kathryn Bryce (c), Sarah Bryce (vc), Lorna Jack-Brown, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Abtaha Maqsood, Saskia Horley, Chloe Abel, Priyanaz Chatterji, Megan McColl, Darcey Carter, Ailsa Lister, Hannah Rainey, Rachel Slater, Katherine Fraser, Olivia Bell

India v Australia

Match Centre and Scorecard

India v Australia, Sunday 13 October (18:00 local), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Two competition heavyweights go head-to-head in a match-up that will have major ramifications on who reaches the semi-finals.

India's first-up loss to New Zealand means they desperately need a victory here to boost their chances of making it to the knockout stges.

While they could lose this and still qualify, a win will give them the best chance as it will draw them level with Australia on six points and give their net run rate a boost.

While Australia are unbeaten in the UAE and impressed so far with three consecutive victories, they do have some fresh headaches with injuries to skipper Alyssa Healy and pacer Tayla Vlaeminck to deal with.

The six-time champions have excellent depth in their squad, with the likes of Grace Harris, Kim Garth and Darcie Brown waiting in the wings and ready to move into the starting XI if required.

One thing can be assured, this will be an enthralling contest as the ongoing rivalry between India and Australia continues.

What They Said

India batter Shafali Verma: "We all know that Net Run Rate is going on and we keep playing it. And I think if you are playing in the Indian team, you don't need to tell us that you're below the NRR. Because everyone is very mature and everyone is seeing everything. So, I think it's not something to say. But of course, we have the NRR in our minds. And we'll keep a focus on it."

Australia all-rounder Ash Gardner: "Our focus is solely on India and whatever the team makeup is, I'm sure everyone that is in the XI will do a fantastic job."

The Squads

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia (subject to fitness), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Sajana Sajeevan. Travelling reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor. Non-Travelling reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ash Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

The T20 World Cup will see 23 matches held in total over 18 days, with all matches in the two host cities of Dubai and Sharjah.

Fans can purchase tickets online or directly at the stadiums, for more information on where to buy click here.