A World Cup that promises steep scoring rates, deep batting line-ups, and mammoth chases
A deep dive into how Women's ODIs have changed since the 2017 tournament
Can England repeat their 2017 success? • Getty Images
England won the ODI World Cup for the fourth time in 2017, with a nine-run win against India in the final. They are not the most successful team in World Cups, though, as Australia have won six titles. New Zealand are the only team other than Australia and England to win a Women's ODI World Cup, clinching the title at home in 2000 when they edged out Australia by just four runs. They will hope to replicate their home success this time as well.
Australia will start their campaign with a win-loss record of 31-2 in ODIs since the previous tournament in 2017. They held a world record streak of 26 consecutive ODI wins during this period. The next best team in this period is South Africa, with a 28-10 record in 43 ODIs. England, the defending champions, have a middling record, winning 23 of their 41 matches.

The 2022 tournament could well end up breaking the all-time record in terms of run-scoring. The highest run-rate in a World Cup so far is 4.67, in the 2017 edition. In the period between the 2013 and the 2017 tournaments, the average run rate in ODIs was only 4.07. However, since the 2017 World Cup, the run rate in ODIs has spiked to 4.51, an increase of nearly 11%. The higher run-rates in this period have also coincided with more success for chasing teams.

One significant change that has lifted batting standards in women's ODIs is the runs from the lower middle order. The quality of batters playing at Nos. 6-8 has improved, giving the assurance to the top order to bat more aggressively early on. Since the previous World Cup, 35 50-plus scores have come from Nos. 6, 7 and 8. The equivalent figure for the previous World Cup cycle was only 22.
One aspect that all teams will need to adapt to is the number of day-night games. The tournament will host 17 day-night fixtures - 15 league games and two knockouts - while 15 matches will be played in the day. The previous 11 World Cup editions had a combined total of four day-night matches, all in 2013. Bangladesh, who will make their debut at the ODI World Cup this week, have not played a day-night ODI yet.
Since the last World Cup, teams have scored at 4.95 runs per over in 20 ODIs in New Zealand, which is the highest scoring rate among the seven countries that have hosted at least 10 matches in this period. The recent ODI series between New Zealand and India set new records in run-scoring and offered a glimpse into what we could witness at the mega event.

The 2022 edition will be Mithali Raj's sixth appearance at the ODI World Cup, making her the first to play six Women's World Cups. Mithali levelled with Debbie Hockley, Clare Taylor and Charlotte Edwards on five tournaments when she turned up in the 2017 edition. Three more cricketers will play in their fifth Women's World Cup this time - Jhulan Goswami, Katherine Brunt and Anisa Mohammed. In terms of matches played, Mithali might end the tournament as second behind Hockley's 45 appearances but will surpass Belinda Clark's 23 World Cup matches as captain.
World Cup debutants Bangladesh have the youngest side going into the tournament, with an average age of 27 years and 9 months. Bangladesh also rank bottom in terms of experience, with a combined tally of 310 ODIs. South Africa are the most experienced side despite the absence of their regular captain Dane van Niekerk.
Sampath Bandarupalli is a statistician at ESPNcricinfo