Surrey and Scotland all-rounder Priyanaz Chatterji helped secure Scotland’s second ICC Women’s T20 World Cup qualification. On this occasion, the Scots are headed south of the border and competing in England & Wales this summer.
It is their second consecutive T20 World Cup qualification, having previously gone through to the 2024 edition, when they made history by qualifying for the first time.
Chatterji, who plays her domestic cricket for Surrey, made her debut for the Scots in 2008 and has been instrumental in the development of women’s cricket in Scotland, being a part of both the qualifying squads.
Earlier this month, she travelled with the associate nations’ side to the World Cup qualifiers in Nepal to compete against the likes of the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Thailand and Nepal. With five wins out of seven, the Scots sealed their spot for the global event alongside Ireland, the Netherlands and Bangladesh.
Chatterji was in fine form throughout the qualifiers, stepping up to the plate for the all-important occasion. The Surrey all-rounder finished the competition with a player-of-the-match knock of 47 against Nepal and with a higher strike rate than any other Scotland batter. With the ball, Priyanaz picked up six wickets along the way, bowling at crucial moments and causing trouble for the opposition’s batting units.
“It’s always an honour to go out and represent your country, and I’m really proud that I’ve been able to do it for this long. I’ve seen such a change in the set up over the years and now we’re in a place where we’re going to a World Cup in England, with a really talented team,” says Chatterji. “I have no doubt that we can compete on this stage, it will be tough, but we have come so far and this is such a great opportunity to show the rest of the world how strong we are.”
While the groups for the World Cup are yet to be determined, the tournament will see Scotland and other qualifiers go head-to-head with the world’s best, taking on the likes of India, Australia and England themselves.
Scotland’s status as an associate nation means they are not eligible to host an ICC World Cup. Many of their players are based in England as full‑time professionals, representing Tier One and Tier Two counties. As a result, a World Cup staged in England is the closest experience the side will have to a home tournament until their status changes.
“We’re so excited about the prospect of the World Cup being in England. The opportunity for our friends and family to come and support is made so much easier and we hope to get some decent crowds cheering us on,” Chatterji continues. “A feat that’s not always possible when we’re playing abroad.”
Scotland are yet to find out who they are pooled against, but if successful in their campaign, Scotland and Priyanaz Chatterji may make an appearance at the Kia Oval as the Home of T20 Cricket hosts both semi-finals.
The global event kicks off with England taking on Sri Lanka on 12 June and Scotland following suit over the weekend.
