“This is the feeling we have been waiting for very long. This is the first time we won the cup and it has come with the U 19 kids,” Nooshin Al Khadeer, the head coach of the India women under-19 team, said after the youngsters defeated England under-19 side in the final of the inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Potchefstroom on Sunday to register history.
The team was led by senior India women’s team player Shafali Verma, aged 19, and have won the first edition of the women’s under-19 T20 World Cup. India remained undefeated throughout the tournament.
Shafali had won the toss and had elected to bowl first at the Senwes Park. England couldn’t take up the pressure and failed to handle the Indian bowlers. Titas Sadhu was rewarded with the Player of the Match award for her stunning bowling figures of 6/2 in 4 overs. Sadhu dismissed opener Liberty Heap and number 4 batter and keeper Seren Smale.
The biggest jolt to England was the dismissal of Grace Scrivens, their captain, the eventual second-leading run-scorer of the tournament, and the Player of the Tournament, in the 4th over of England’s innings, made by Archana Devi, who finished with figures of 2/17.
Parshavi Chopra was the third Indian bowler to bag a brace: she returned with figures of 2/13. THe three other Indian bowlers on show today – Mannat Kashyap, Shafali Verma, and Somam Yadav – all took one wicket each.
England were bowled out for only 68 by India
What initially seemed like a smooth chase suddenly became nervy for India when India lost both their openers – and both of whom were India’s top two scorers – Shafali Verma and Shweta Sehrawat – for 20 runs.
The ghosts of knockout losses of the senior men’s and women’s team came back quickly to haunt the fans.
India’s Shweta Sehrawat finished at the leading scorer of the tournament with 297 runs at an average of 99
However, this time an Indian victory was meant to be: Soumya Tiwari and Gongadi Trisha scored 24* and 24 runs respectively and saw off India in their small chase, but a big, big victory. This is also India’s first ICC trophy victory – counting both men’s and women’s team – since Prithvi Shaw’s team won the 2018 under-19 World Cup.
