India women’s team began the 2025 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in sublime fashion by winning three on trot and qualified for Super Sixes phase.
The winners of the inaugural 2022 edition have kicked things off with a stunning nine-wicket victory over West Indies. They dismissed their opponents for a tiny total of 44 and then chased down the target within just 4.2 overs.
India under captain Niki Prasad turned on the style in the next match by bundling out hosts Malaysia for 31 runs and dispatched the target with a 17-ball chase.
On Thursday, they remained undefeated with a commanding 60-run win over Sri Lanka while defending a target of 118 runs. The bowlers were yet again in control as they restricted Sri Lanka to 58/9 in 20 overs.
As the team gears up to face Scotland and Bangladesh in the Super Sixes, we take a look at three players who have been instrumental in these wins.
The left-arm spinner became the first ever Indian to claim a hat-trick in Under-19 World Cups when she sent back Malaysia’s Nur Ain Binti Roslan, Nur Isma Dania and Siti Nazwah off consecutive deliveries in the second game.
She walked off the match with stunning figures of 5-5 on her debut match which left India’s openers with a simple chase. Vaishnavi also claimed two crucial wickets in the games against West Indies and Sri Lanka and currently averages 1.33 in the tournament.
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The opening batter was one of the key members of India’s title triumph in 2024 Under-19 Women’s Asia Cup in December with a total of 159 runs from five matches at a strike rate of 120. Her knock of 52 off 47 balls against Bangladesh in the final proved to be gold dust as India posted a target of 118 on a tricky pitch.
The 19-year-old from Telangana carried her fine form into the Under-19 World Cup with scores of 27 not out against Malaysia and 49 against Sri Lanka. Trisha, who was also part of the inaugural Women’s Under-19 World Cup winning team, has shown maturity with her batting in the current edition as well.
Another World Cup winner in the team alongside Trisha, Shabnam has been the rock of India’s bowling unit in the team. The 17-year-old pacer from Andhra Pradesh has shored up the bowling in every match with her economical spells up front.
She was crucial in the game against Sri Lanka as her 2-9 in four overs broke the top order and triggered a collapse. The Gujarat Giants bowler had also received her maiden senior team call-up last year for the series against South Africa but is yet to make her debut.
Besides the individual performances, India are also led by an excellent captain in Niki Prasad, who had narrowly missed out a place in the previous World Cup squad but has climbed the ranks with her power hitting and leadership abilities. She had won the 2023 Women’s Under-19 T20 Trophy with Karnataka and also led Team C to the title in the Under-19 Women’s Challenger Trophy last year. It was also a testament to her captaincy skills that India won all the matches in the 2024 Women’s Under-19 Asia Cup inside 15 overs enroute to the title.
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