India's dominance in the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup continued as they secured their second consecutive title with a commanding nine-wicket victory over South Africa in Kuala Lumpur.
The final, held at the Bayuemas Oval, saw India chase down a modest target of 83 runs with ease, finishing the match in just 11.2 overs.
Gongadi Trisha played a crucial role in the triumph, showcasing her all-round brilliance. She remained unbeaten on 44, guiding the team to victory after earlier dismantling South Africa with the ball.
Her efforts earned her both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards, as she finished the competition as the highest run-scorer with 309 runs.
The celebrations were jubilant as the Indian team, draped in the national flag, rushed onto the field to embrace their historic win. This victory marked a successful title defence, having first won the tournament two years ago under the captaincy of Shafali Verma.
From the outset, India took control of the chase with Trisha setting the tone by hitting three boundaries in the first over. She continued her aggressive approach, adding three more fours in the fourth over.
Though Kamalini was dismissed by Reyneke, the momentum remained with India. Trisha found support in Soniya Chalke, who played a fluent innings, helping India cross the halfway mark in the powerplay.
Trisha survived a scare when she was dropped on 38 in the 10th over, but India needed just 15 more runs to win at that stage. Chalke sealed the victory in style, hitting a boundary in the 12th over to complete the chase and secure the title.
Earlier in the match, India's spinners proved to be the decisive factor in restricting South Africa to a mere 82 runs. The Proteas, opting to bat first, struggled to cope with the slow pitch and the relentless spin attack.
Trisha took three crucial wickets, while Parunika Sisodia, Aayushi Shukla, and Vaishnavi Sharma shared six wickets between them.
South Africa got off to a promising start with Jemma Botha hitting two boundaries in the opening over. However, the Indian bowlers quickly turned the tide as Parunika removed Simone Lourens for a duck in the very next over.
The pressure mounted as Jemma, attempting a forceful shot, edged the ball to Kamalini, who took a sharp one-handed catch.
Aayushi further dented South Africa’s innings by dismissing Diara Ramlakan, leaving them struggling at 29 for 3 by the end of the powerplay.
With runs becoming increasingly difficult to score, the South African batters found themselves trapped in a web of dot balls. Captain Kayla Reyneke attempted to break free with a lofted shot but was caught at long-off, giving Trisha her first wicket.
Aayushi then bowled a brilliant delivery to rattle Karabo Meso’s middle stump, reducing South Africa to 44 for 5 in the 13th over.
Despite a brief resistance from Fay Cowling and Mieke van Voorst, who added 30 runs for the sixth wicket, Trisha struck again, removing both Mieke and Seshnie Naidu in quick succession.
Vaishnavi ensured there was no late resurgence, dismissing Fay and Monalisa Legodi before Parunika completed the demolition by claiming the final wicket of Ashleigh van Wyk. South Africa were bundled out for a below-par total, setting up an easy chase for India.
With this emphatic victory, India reaffirmed their status as the best in U19 women's cricket, continuing their dominance on the world stage.
Follow us
