India vs Pakistan (AP Photo) New Delhi: The 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, concluded with record attendance figures, signaling a significant increase in the global popularity of women’s cricket.
The tournament attracted a total of 91,030 fans, an increase of 30% over the previous edition.
The group stage match between India and Pakistan emerged as a highlight, attracting a record 15,935 spectators. This clash between the two arch rivals highlighted the enormous public interest in women’s cricket, particularly in major cricketing nations.
While India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, prevailed in their encounter with Pakistan, they ultimately failed to reach the semi-finals after losing to New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand and defending champions Australia qualified from Group A, with New Zealand eventually winning the tournament title against South Africa in a thrilling final.
The final match, which was held at Dubai International Stadium, witnessed a significant increase in crowd attendance by 68% compared to the previous final, with 21,457 fans attending.
This increase in viewership extended beyond the final, with the group stages and semi-finals attracting 69,573 fans, an increase of 21% over the previous tournament.
These figures highlight a clear upward trend in global consumption of women’s cricket.
The ICC attributed this growth to several factors, including increased accessibility to the sport, the rising profile of female athletes, and the successful hosting of the tournament in the UAE.
Geoff Allardyce, Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council, said: “Women’s cricket is reaching new heights and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE is a shining example of the expanding influence of the sport. This amazing turnout shows the growing global support For women’s cricket and the possibility of hosting elite women’s sports in this region.
