Women's T20 World Cup: India to play defending champions and hosts Australia in tournament opener

Women's T20 World Cup 2020: The Indian women's cricket team will open its campaign at next year's Twenty20 World Cup against defending champion Australia on February 21 in Sydney.

India women will be a part of the curtain-raiser of the Women’s T20 World Cup next year against the defending champions and host Australian on February 21 in Sydney.

ICC announced the schedule of the men’s and women’s T20 World Cup on Tuesday morning. For the first time, both the events will be held as standalone tournaments with the Women’s World T20 preceding the men’s one (Complete schedule of Men's World T20). The Women’s Twenty20 World Cup will be played in Australia from February 21 to March 8 next year.

The warm-up matches will take place from February 15 to 20 in Adelaide and Brisbane, before the tournament takes place across Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Melbourne.

India have been placed in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand Sri Lanka and a qualifier. After the clash against the home side, the Indian women will travel to Perth to take on a yet-to-be-decided qualifier on February 24, followed by a clash against New Zealand on February 27 in Melbourne.

Here's how the teams will be grouped for the @ICC Women's #T20WorldCup 2020 in Australia! What will the key match-ups be? pic.twitter.com/EOt8MC8NP4

— ICC T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) January 28, 2019

At the same venue, the Indians will wind up their round-robin engagements with a match against Sri Lanka.

The semifinals are scheduled to be held on March 5 in Sydney while the summit clash has been kept for March 8 in Melbourne.

The Women's T20 World Cup Fixtures:

21 February 2020: Australia v India, Spotless Stadium, Sydney

22 February 2020: Windies v Qualifier 2, WACA, Perth; New Zealand v Sri Lanka, WACA, Perth

23 February 2020: England v South Africa, WACA Perth

24 February 2020: Australia v Sri Lanka, WACA Perth; India v Qualifier 1, WACA Perth (7.00pm)

26 February 2020: England v Qualifier 2, Manuka Oval, Canberra; Windies v Pakistan, Manuka Oval, Canberra

27 February 2020: India v New Zealand, Junction Oval, Melbourne; Australia v Qualifier 1, Manuka Oval, Canberra

28 February 2020: South Africa v Qualifier 2, Manuka Oval, Canberra; England v Pakistan, Manuka Oval, Canberra

29 February 2020: India v Sri Lanka, Junction Oval, Melbourne; South Africa v Pakistan, Spotless Stadium, Sydney.

1 March 2020: South Africa v Pakistan, Spotless Stadium, Sydney; England v Windies, Spotless Stadium, Sydney

2 March 2020: Sri Lanka v Qualifier 1, Junction Oval, Melbourne; Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval, Melbourne

3 March 2020: Pakistan v Qualifier 2, Spotless Stadium, Sydney; Windies v South Africa, Spotless Stadium, Sydney

5 March 2020: Semifinal 1, SCG, Sydney; Semifinal 2, SCG, Sydney

8 March 2020: Final, MCG, Melbourne.