The squad
Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy, Nicole Bolton, Meg Lanning (captain), Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Delissa Kimmince, Ellyse Perry, Elyse Villani, Megan Schutt, Nicola Carey, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
World T20 pedigree
With a hat-trick of titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014, Australia are the most-successful side in the tournament's history. They would've believed a fourth was nearly in the bag, until they ran into West Indies in that famous final in Kolkata.
Recent T20I form
Australia are heading into the tournament on a run of nine successive T20I wins and three series wins. Australia began this year with a win in the T20I tri-series in India in March. There they posted their highest-ever total of 209 in the format. This was followed with a clean sweep against New Zealand at home in September before heading to Malaysia to whitewash Pakistan in the limited-overs series. It's hard to look beyond them on current form.
Top performers
Alyssa Healy has been in scintillating form heading into the tournament. The wicketkeeper-batsman has made six 30-plus scores - including four half-centuries - in ten T20Is. Behind the stumps, too, she's been electrifying, having effected six catches and eight stumpings in these ten games.
Captain and coach
Meg Lanning suffered a shoulder injury and missed all the action through the 2017-18 summer, but made a solid return in March in the tri-series in India with 175 runs in four games. Her 12th ODI hundred recently took Australia to a 150-run win in the second ODI against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur. She is undoubtedly the side's biggest asset, and although she sat out Australia's final T20I against Pakistan with a minor back issue, she is believed to have recovered. "I think it's all settled down, it was just a minor one the physio wasn't too concerned about," coach Matthew Mott told cricket.com.au ahead of the tournament.
Mott, whose contract was extended last year until 2020, has been a pillar in the background. His rich coaching experience has lent freedom to a bunch of ambitious and talented individuals. With Shelley Nitschke, the Australia women allrounder, as his deputy, he will now eye another piece of silverware.
Where they will finish
Placed in Group B, Australia will play Pakistan, Ireland and New Zealand in the space of five days, all at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, before their final group match against India at the same venue, after a three-day break. Australia are favourites to clinch the title, with their stiffest competition likely to come from New Zealand in the group stage.