Dominant India Clinch Consecutive ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Title with Commanding Win Over South Africa

India’s U19 Women’s cricket team made history by winning their second consecutive ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title. They defeated South Africa by nine wickets in a dominant display at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Gongadi Trisha was the standout performer, excelling with both bat and ball as India comfortably chased down the modest target of 83 runs.

Trisha Leads India’s Bowling Attack* 

South Africa, who entered the final unbeaten, won the toss and chose to bat first in dry conditions. Their hopes rested on star batter Jemma Botha, who had played a match-winning knock against Australia in the semi-final. Botha started aggressively, hitting two boundaries in the opening over, but India’s disciplined bowling soon shifted the momentum.

In the second over, Parunika Sisodia provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Simone Lourens with a beautifully angled delivery that crashed into the stumps. The turning point came in the fourth over when Botha, attempting a big shot off Shabnam Shakil, edged the ball to wicketkeeper Kamalini G, who made a stunning one-handed catch.

 South Africa struggled to recover from this setback, losing wickets at regular intervals. Aayushi Shukla struck immediately after Botha’s dismissal, bowling out Diara Ramlakan for a golden duck. The Proteas batters found it tough to score freely on a slow, spin-friendly pitch, managing only 13 runs between the fourth and tenth overs.

Captain Kayla Reyneke and Karabo Meso attempted to stabilize the innings but fell in consecutive overs while trying to hit big shots. Mieke van Voorst provided some resistance with a quick 23 runs off 18 balls, including three boundaries, before being stumped off a well-flighted delivery from Gongadi Trisha. This wicket triggered a collapse, and South Africa was bowled out for 82 runs in 20 overs.

Trisha led the bowling attack with impressive figures of 3 for 15, while Sisodia (2 for 6), Shukla (2 for 9), and the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Vaishnavi Sharma (2 for 23) all played crucial roles in restricting South Africa to a below-par total.

Trisha’s Batting Brilliance Seals Victory

In their chase of 83 runs, India got off to a solid start, despite a close call in the first over when Trisha’s outside edge just flew past the wicketkeeper. She soon found her rhythm, smashing three boundaries in the fourth over and scoring at an impressive strike rate of 149.7.

India lost their first wicket when Kamalini G was caught brilliantly in the deep by Lourens for 8 runs. However, Trisha continued her aggressive approach, effortlessly dispatching boundaries. She reached 300 runs in the tournament, becoming the first player to achieve this milestone in a single edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

Supporting her at the other end, Sanika Chalke played a composed innings, scoring 26 runs off 19 balls, including four boundaries. She hit the winning runs in the 12th over with a powerful four to square leg, sealing a comprehensive nine-wicket victory for India.

A Historic Triumph

India’s dominant performance throughout the tournament reaffirms their status as the powerhouse of women’s U19 cricket. This victory marks their successful title defense, having won the inaugural edition in 2023.

Scores in Brief:

• South Africa: 82 all out in 20 overs (Mieke van Voorst 23, Jemma Botha 16; Gongadi Trisha 3/15, Parunika Sisodia 2/6, Aayushi Shukla 2/9, Vaishnavi Sharma 2/23)
• India: 84/1 in 11.2 overs (Gongadi Trisha 44, Sanika Chalke 26; Kayla Reyneke 1/14**)

Result: India won by nine wickets