Some of the biggest names in cricket will take centre stage when the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 begins in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, October 3.

Australia are the holders and record six-time winners, but Alyssa Healy’s team will be wary of the threat posed by former champions England and West Indies, as well as South Asian powerhouse India.

The tournament will be played in a simple two-stage format and will see the winner walk away with a hefty cheque.

Here’s what you need to know about the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:

Which teams will participate in the Women’s T20 World Cup?

Group A

Australia
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
Sri Lanka

Group B

Bangladesh
England
Scotland
South Africa
West Indies

How did the teams qualify?

Bangladesh were granted automatic qualification on account of being the tournament hosts.

Australia, South Africa, England, India, the West Indies and New Zealand qualified on the basis of their performance in the previous edition of the tournament in 2023, when Australia lifted the title in the final against hosts South Africa. Of these, West Indies and New Zealand qualified on the basis of their third-place finish in the group stage, while the other four secured their spots as semifinalists.

Pakistan’s entry into the 2024 edition was sealed on account of their ICC Women’s T20 team ranking at the end of the 2023 tournament, which was the highest amongst the fourth-placed teams.

Sri Lanka and Scotland booked their places through the 2024 tournament qualifiers, which concluded in May.

Here’s a look at the 10 squads and what’s to come:

Why are the matches being played in the UAE?

In 2022, the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted hosting rights for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 to Bangladesh, but the tournament was moved to the UAE due to the recent political unrest in Bangladesh and the ensuing security concerns in the South Asian nation.

While the matches will be played in the UAE, Bangladesh will remain the official tournament hosts.

What is the format and schedule of the Women’s T20 World Cup?

The tournament will follow a simple two-stage format, divided between a group stage and a short knockout stage.

Following round-robin matches in both groups, the top two teams from each group will progress to the semifinals, with the winners playing the final.

Al Jazeera has listed all the matches, with their timings and venues here.

Group stage: October 3 to 13

Semifinals: October 16 and 17

Final: October 20

Who are the top players to watch?

Chamari Athapaththu
Smriti Mandhana
Beth Mooney
Nahida Akter
Fatima Sana
Sophie Ecclestone
Abtaha Maqsood
Laura Wolvaardt
Hayley Matthews
Deepti Sharma

Which teams are favourites to win the T20 World Cup?

Al Jazeera’s four favourites for the title are:

Australia: Being the strongest team in women’s cricket, with six T20 World Cup and seven 50-over World Cup titles to their name, it’s improbable that Australia will not progress to the semifinals. The women in gold and green are the top-ranked ICC Women’s T20 side and have failed to qualify for the final of the T20 World Cup only once, in the inaugural edition in 2009.

England: Winners of the inaugural edition at home, England have been the runners-up thrice, but will look to put those finals past them and topple rivals Australia. However, Heather Knight’s team must overcome their recent wobble in the series against Ireland in order to seal a semifinals spot.

India: Hosts of the most lucrative women’s franchise T20 league in the world and runners-up in the 2020 edition, India will go into the tournament with high hopes and a nation’s expectation to win their first ICC trophy. Harmanpreet Kaur will look to shake off the disappointment of losing the Women’s Asia Cup final in July and lead her side to glory in conditions that won’t be too different from those at home.

Sri Lanka: Athapaththu’s team will be the dark horses of the tournament, but they find themselves in a tough group. However, their recent eight-wicket triumph over India to win the Women’s Asia Cup could give the team a much-needed boost ahead of the tournament and propel them to their first-ever semifinals appearance.

Where will the matches be played?

Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah: Being the first home cricket stadium in the Middle East, Sharjah’s venue has hosted a record number (250) of men’s one-day international (ODI) matches and has seen dozens of stars make their mark in international cricket. The compact stadium lies in the heart of the city and turns into a cauldron of noise on match days. The 16,000-capacity venue will host 11 of the 23 matches of the Women’s T20 World Cup, including the opening match and the second semifinal.

Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS), Dubai: Inaugurated in 2009, DICS has become the new hub of all cricket action in the UAE and, indeed, the Middle East. Its modern architecture includes floodlights fixed on the circumference of the roof, lending it the nickname “the Ring of Fire”. The 25,000-capacity stadium has hosted several international cricket tournaments, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and its final. During the Women’s T20 World Cup DICS, it will host 12 matches, including the second semifinal and the final.

When and where is India vs Pakistan?

India vs Pakistan is the biggest match of any ICC World Cup and one that is now a permanent fixture regardless of groups and seedings, which means every time the two nations participate in an ICC event, they face each other at least once.

Whenever and wherever the South Asian rivals meet, tickets sell like hotcakes, hotels in the vicinity of the stadium run at full occupancy, and life in both countries comes to a standstill.

In this tournament, Kaur’s India will take on Sana-led Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, October 6 at 10:00 GMT.

India have won 12 of the 15 T20 matches played between the two South Asian rivals, with Pakistan winning three. India comprehensively won their last encounter – by seven wickets – at the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in July.

Pakistan will look to turn the tide under their new captain, but India will be strong favourites.

Who are the past champions?

2009: England

2010: Australia

2012: Australia

2014: Australia

2016: West Indies

2018: Australia

2020: Australia

2023: Australia

What is the prize money for the Women’s T20 World Cup?

The ICC has increased the tournament purse by 225 percent from the previous edition in a move aimed at giving equal prize money in men’s and women’s tournaments. Here are the numbers:

Total prize money: $7.96m

Winners: $2.34m

Runners-up: $1.17m

Losing semifinalists: $675,000

Third and fourth place finish in group stage: $270,000

Fifth place finish in group stage: $135,000

Each group-stage win: $31,154

How can I buy tickets for the Women’s T20 World Cup?

Tickets for the tournament went on sale on September 25 on the tournament’s website. They will also be available at kiosks at both venues.

The ICC has announced free entry for fans under the age of 18. The price for tickets ranges between 5 UAE dirhams ($1.36) and 550 dirhams ($150).

Where can I follow the Women’s T20 World Cup?

Al Jazeera will bring live text commentary and photo coverage for a selection of the biggest matches during the tournament, including India vs Pakistan, both semifinals and the final.

The ICC has allotted rights to various broadcasting and online streaming outlets across the world.