The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier Division 2 starts from 25th of May onwards till 29th of May. A total of 15 games will be played during this phase and six teams will be participating in the tournament. Italy, Spain, Jersey, Isle of Man, Germany and Sweden are the six teams competing in the tournament.
Simar Cricket Ground and Roma Cricket Ground in Rome in Italy are the two venues to host the entire tournament. The coverage for the match starts from 1:45 PM and it will be interesting to watch all the six teams compete in a fierce battle.
Italy Women have a great track record, winning all five of their most recent games and also winning the Women’s T20I tri-series which was held last year in Italy. Three teams Sweden, Malta and Italy participated in the tri-series and Italy Women dominated, winning 4 out of 4 games.
Italy Women would want to continue their winning streak and take down the rest of the other sides in the ICC T2O World Cup Europe Qualifier Division 2 making use of their home conditions. Italy have a very strong, formidable and confident squad going ahead in the tournament, which is further bolstered with Chloe Piparo and Annie Wikman named.
Chloe Piparo is a prominent Australian cricketer, best known for her role as a right-handed batter and leader in women’s domestic cricket. Piparo plays for Western Australia in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) and for the Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
Piparo was part of the Perth Scorchers squad from the inaugural WBBL season in 2015–16 and has played in every game that season. Known for her small frame and technical proficiency, Piparo is a reliable top-order batter. She occasionally bowls right-arm off-break but is primarily valued for her batting. In the WBBL, she has played 121 matches, scoring 919 runs with a top score of 50*. Chloe Piparo is now playing for Italy’s national women’s cricket team after switching her international allegiance from Australia to Italy, the country of her paternal grandparents.
Although she built her career as a stalwart for Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers, Piparo never played for the senior Australian national team, which made her eligible to represent another country under International Cricket Council (ICC) rule. It will be interesting to watch out for Piparo playing for Italy and scoring heavily as she has been playing in Western Australia and The Women’s Big Bash League.
Another notable player to watch out for in the Italian squad would be Annie Wikman. Annie Sylvia Wikman, born April 27, 2001, is an Australian cricketer who primarily plays as a right-handed batter and occasional bowler. She started her cricket journey in Queensland, playing age-group cricket before moving to the ACT Meteors in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL). Wikman also plays grade cricket for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club. In 2025, Wikman is set to represent Italy in the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifiers, thanks to her recently discovered Italian heritage and dual citizenship.
Wikman is currently in Europe, combining travel with her cricketing commitments. She joins fellow Australian Chloe Piparo in the Italian squad, with the team assembling in Rome ahead of the qualifiers. She expects to contribute mainly as a batter but is open to bowling and specialist fielding roles if required. Annie Wikman’s journey reflects both her versatility as a cricketer and her openness to new opportunities, now representing Italy on the international stage after a strong domestic career in Australia.
Italy Women’s Squad for Europe Division 2 Qualifier:
Alexia Kontopirakis, Annie Wikman, Chloe Piparo, Dilaisha Nanayakkara (VC), Emilia Bartram (C), Ilenia Sims, Kumudu Peddrick, Thilini Fernando, Ishara Jayamannage, Methnara Rathnayake, Emma Moore, Nimesha Ekanayake, Pasindi Kanankege, Teshani Araliya
Reserves: Sadalee Malwatta, Amaya Rajapaksha
