Oman women eye ranking rise at Belt & Road T20Is

Oman's women's cricketers are heading to Hangzhou, China, with a clear objective: to challenge themselves against stronger international competition and climb the world rankings at the upcoming Belt & Road Women's T20I tournament. The event is scheduled to take place from August 20 to 24.

Under the captaincy of Fiza, the Omani team will participate in a double round-robin format, facing off against the host nation, China, and the higher-ranked Indonesian team. The top two teams from the group stage will advance to the final match.

Head coach Damith Warusavithana emphasized the tournament's significance, stating, “This is an important tournament for Oman women. We know the challenge ahead, particularly with Indonesia being a higher-ranked team, but that is exactly the kind of challenge we want. These opportunities can help us move up the world rankings and measure ourselves against stronger opposition.”

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This is an important tournament for Oman women. We know the challenge ahead, particularly with Indonesia being a higher-ranked team, but that is exactly the kind of challenge we want. These opportunities can help us move up the world rankings and measure ourselves against stronger opposition.

The tournament also serves as a platform to showcase Oman Cricket's development program, with Under-19 talents Pia Sharma and Aneeka Ashik receiving their first senior international call-ups. Warusavithana noted that these young players earned their spots through strong performances and will be given opportunities to take on more responsibility. He also acknowledged the absence of experienced players Priyanka Mendonca and Jayadhanya Gunasekar, viewing it as a chance for other squad members to step up. The coach urged his players to "believe they belong at this level, play without fear and take every opportunity to move women’s cricket forward."

While results are important, Warusavithana stressed that Oman's primary focus will be on building consistency, mental fortitude, and the overall ability to compete at a higher level. All matches will be held at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field.

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We want the players to believe they belong at this level, play without fear and take every opportunity to move women’s cricket forward.