The official hashtag for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is #WhatEverItTakes, based on the tournament’s anthem by Indian all-girl pop group W.i.S.H. It is also, of course, a line made hugely popular in recent years as the catchphrase in Avengers: Endgame, where a group of superheroes go through a whole lot of trouble to save the universe. The stakes might not be as high at the World Cup, but it is fitting in the sense that a few teams will be looking to do whatever it takes to show that the women’s game is at a level unlike ever before.
The stage is set for possibly the best World Cup in terms of the quality across the teams, and if you were looking to start following women’s cricket, there is no better time to get on the bandwagon. The tournament is being played in Asian, somewhat alien, conditions to most teams, levelling the playing field. The T20 leagues have helped players from other countries raise their skills and match up with the elite. Australia’s most successful title-winning captain has retired, and there will be a serious battle for the throne that the world’s best team has occupied for the past three editions.