Two unbeaten sides. Two stories of significant progress over two years will culminate with the final of the Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur today.
It might only be edition number two, but India have asserted themselves as the team to beat in this competition. They have outclassed every team in their path to the finals, and have looked stronger than the title-winning squad in 2023 with two capped internationals under Shafali Verma.
Niki Prasad’s team has exhibited skills that might well mistake them for being a senior side, be it ball striking and power hitting with bat, accuracy and discipline with ball or athleticism and catching efficiency in the field. West Indies, Malaysia, Scotland and Bangladesh were brushed aside without sweat. Sri Lanka (in the group stage) and England (in the semi-finals) had their moments, but were unable to press the advantage across 40 overs, and India eventually prevailed comfortably.
India’s pathway to prepare for the tournament also trumps most sides, many of whom had never travelled overseas before the World Cup. They won the U-19 Women’s Asia Cup in December 2024, with all games played at the Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, the venue for each of India’s World Cup fixtures as well as the semi-final and final. Prior to that, two Under-19 sides played a triangular series in Pune that also featured South Africa, their opponents for the final.
That South Africa’s story in World Cups has moved from falling short of finals to falling short in finals might be considered progress in itself.
Under captain Kayla Reyneke one of seven players in the squad playing in their second edition, South Africa have shown significant progress after failing to go beyond the Super Six at home in 2023. They outclassed Australia in Friday’s semi-final which was effectively their first experience of a full game in the tournament. Their previous wins were secured in severely reduced games, largely due to rain against New Zealand, Nigeria and Ireland, and Samoa’s 16 all out. Still they got the job done emphatically.
After two consecutive senior women’s T20 World Cup final appearances in as many years, and just as many heartbreaks, South Africa have set their sights on the Under-19 women’s team to bring home a first women’s title, just as India did in 2023.
Power-hitting takes time to evolve. It’s unlikely to be seen at the women’s Under-19 level. Try telling G Trisha and Jemma Botha that. Both, in their second edition of the tournament, are now promoted to open the batting. They both also have the power game that could decide the fate of the final.
Trisha is the tournament’s leading run-scorer and is likely to remain so regardless of what happens in the final after striking the first hundred in the competition, against Scotland. It’s not just the 265 runs though, it’s the strike rate of 149.71 that stands out.
Botha might have been competing for similar honours had South Africa’s batters batted more than the 26.5 overs they did in the entire tournament leading up to the semi-final. Her 37 off 24 with five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 154 in the semi-final against Australia gave South Africa a crucial head start that proved to be decisive in what could have been a tricky chase.
Both teams are likely to stick with the same XIs from their respective semi-finals.
India (probable): G Trisha, G Kamalini (wk), Sanika Chalke, Nikki Prasad (capt), Ishwari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, Aayushi Shukla, VJ Joshitha, Shabnam Shakil, Parunika Sisodia, Vaishnavi Sharma
South Africa (probable): Jemma Botha, Simone Lourens, Kayla Reyneke (capt), Karabo Meso (wk), Fay Cowling, Mieke van Voorst, Seshnie Naidu, Luyanda Nzuza, Ashleigh van Wyk, Monalisa Legodi, Nthabiseng Nini
[Cricinfo]
