Indian U-19 Women's cricket team crushed South Africa by nine wickets in the final to successfully defend their U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Indian bowlers packed South Africa under a modest score, as the eventual runners-up finished at 82 in 20 overs, losing all wickets. In the second innings, India chased down the score in just 11.2 overs, losing only one wicket as they stamped a dominating nine-wicket win in the one-sided final. 

𝗖. 𝗛. 𝗔. 𝗠. 𝗣. 𝗜. 𝗢. 𝗡. 𝗦! 🏆#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 are the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 Champions 👏 👏

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/hkhiLzuLwj #SAvIND | #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/MuOEENNjx8

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 2, 2025

After clinching the title in the inaugural edition in 2023, India U-19 women have successfully retained the title in Malaysia in 2025.

Commanding performance by the Indian bowlers in the first innings

South Africa struggled to score quickly in their innings and lost wickets regularly as India's spin bowlers took control of the game. However, this tournament shows significant progress compared to the inaugural competition two years ago, where South Africa did not advance beyond the Super Six stage.

South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first, as Parunika Sisodia clean-bowled opener Simone Lourens at the end of the second over to pick up South Africa's first wicket. Another opener, Jemma Botha went back to the pavilion after adding 16 off 14 to the scorecards.

📸 📸

𝗠. 𝗢. 𝗢. 𝗗 straight after a memorable title triumph! ☺️ 🏆#TeamIndia 🇮🇳 | #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/nJOELSNO1f

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 2, 2025

India quickly took over the South African batting line-up, as Diara Ramlakan and captain Kayla Reyneke got out at 3 and 7, respectively; where the score was 40-4 in 11.2 overs.

Only Mieke Van Broot tried to build up some resistance by scoring 23 off 18, but Gongadi Trisha sent her back to the pavilion at 17.5 over. Following that, Sheshnie Naidu, Ashleigh van Wyk, and Monalisa Legodi all registered ducks, as South Africa got all out at just 82 in 20 overs.

Gongadi Trisha stalled her bowling figure at 3-15, whereas Paruniaka Sisodia (2-6), Ayushi Shukla (2-9), and Vaishnavi Sharma (2-23), the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, collectively collapsed the South African batting. 

Blistering batting from India chased down the target easily

South Africa v India, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur, 2 February 2025

South Africa: 82 all out in 20 overs (Mieke van Voorst 23, Jemma Botha 16; Gongadi Trisha 3/15, Parunika Sisodia 2/6)

India: 84 for one in 11.2 overs (Gongadi Trisha 44 not out, Sanika Chalke 26 not out; Kayla Reyneke 1/14)

Result: India won by nine wickets

The ICC has officially announced that the Final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5th July. The news was shared during a special launch event at Lord’s on 1st May.

Alongside this major reveal, it was confirmed that the matches will also be played at other popular venues across England, including Edgbaston, the Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, and the Bristol County Ground.

The tournament is set to kick off on 12th June and will run for 24 days, featuring a total of 33 matches leading up to the highly anticipated final at Lord’s. The complete match schedule is expected to be released soon.

Featuring a record 12 teams, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. With two more teams than the previous edition, fans can expect fierce competition as the world’s top sides battle it out for the title.

Read Also | Bengal Women's Cricket Exclusive: Two out of two finals, record chase against Haryana, Jhulan Goswami, WPL and more

Qualified Teams for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026

Four additional teams will join them through the Qualifier scheduled next year.

The 12 teams will be split into two groups of six for the group stage, followed by the knockout rounds and finals.

Official Statement

ICC Chairman Jay Shah opened up about the tournament, saying, "The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026"

"The sell-out Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women’s game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final."

"As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket’s return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028."

Legacy

Moving on from the most recent edition, hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE in 2024, saw New Zealand claim their first-ever title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final.

The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will mark the milestone 10th edition of the tournament, which began in 2009.

India continue their winning run in the Tri-Nation Women's ODI series by defeating South Africa by 15 runs. After posting a daunting total of 276, with a stand out performance from Pratika Rawal scoring 78 of 91 balls, the South Africans came out with intent in the second half.

Tazmin Britz's century gave real hope to the South Africans, but she had to retire hurt due to cramps. The Indian team took crucial wickets during key moments and turned the match in their favor.

India set a strong total with a team effort

India posted a strong total, thanks to a brilliant 78 from Pratika Rawal, who became the fastest to reach 500 ODI runs in women's cricket. Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues scored 41 runs pushing the total to 276. 

Read Also | Pratika Rawal becomes the fastest to reach 500 ODI runs in women's cricket

For South Africa, Nonkululeko Mlaba was the standout bowler with two wickets. Most of the others took one each, except Sune Luus and Chloe Tryon. However, Annerie Dercksen was quite expensive with the ball, which may have made the difference in the end.

South Africa starts strong but suffers setbacks

Chasing a big target, South Africa's openers came out firing, putting pressure on the Indian bowlers from the start. They made the most of the powerplay and built a strong 140-run stand, putting their team in a good position.

Laura Wolvaardt got a good start before getting out, while Tazmin Brits was in great form, scoring a brilliant century with ease. She got good support from Sune Luus for a while, but Luus’s dismissal came at a tough moment. Things got worse when Brits had to retire hurt due to cramps, with about 100 runs still needed.

The turning point

That moment Brits retired hurt was the turning point of the match as India took full advantage by taking key wickets. Chloe Tryon and Annerie Dercksen tried to keep South Africa in the game with some big hits. But things changed completely in the 48th over when Sneh Rana dismissed both batters and also removed Tazmin Brits, who had returned.

Rana finished with a brilliant five-wicket haul, while Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, and Deepti Sharma took one wicket each.

South Africa, despite being in control for most of the chase, lost their last six wickets for just 21 runs and fell short by 15 runs in a match they seemed set to win.

Read Also | Tri-Nation Series 2025: India vs Sri Lanka Women's ODI Match Report | Dominant India registers easy victory on Sri Lankan soil

Post-Match presentations

Sneh Rana was named the Player of the Match for her fantastic fifer. She said she focused on using variations and taking the pace off the ball, just like her captain and the team had advised.

She added that she never gives up and always tries to give her best whenever the team needs her. 

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the team gave their 100% from the very first ball. She highlighted fielding as the key difference, saying they saved at least 20 runs.

She ended by saying she’s very happy with the bowlers, who gave everything to help secure the win.

Match Summary

IND-W: 276/6 (50) | Pratika Rawal 78; Nonkululeko Mlaba 10-55-2

RSA-W: 261 (49.2/50) | Tazmin Brits 109; Sneh Rana 10-43-5

Young Indian women's cricket team batsman Pratika Rawal created history on Tuesday by becoming the fastest batter to reach 500 runs in Women’s ODI in the second match of the triangular series against South Africa at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana gave the Indian innings a strong start and shared a crucial 83-run partnership for the first wicket. Mandhana scored 36 runs off 54 balls but was caught out by Annerie Dercksen and returned to the pavilion. Pratika continued her excellent form and completed 500 runs in her ODI career.

Also Read: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

New record in women's cricket

Pratika Rawal reached the 500-run mark in just her eighth innings, surpassing England’s Charlotte Edwards, who had held the previous record of nine innings. Rawal achieved this in the fourth over of India’s innings, when she collected a single off Masabata Klaas after pulling a short-pitched delivery.

Earlier in the first match of the series, Rawal had won the 'Player of the Match' title by scoring an unbeaten 50 runs off 62 balls, where India registered a spectacular victory by 9 wickets.

Consecutive fifty-plus scores in ODIs

In the match against South Africa, 24-year-old Pratika Rawal played an important innings of 78 runs in 91 balls, which included 1 six and 7 fours. She brought up her half-century in 58 deliveries, reaching the milestone with a six. With this, Rawal also became only the second Indian woman, after Mithali Raj, to register five consecutive fifty-plus scores in ODIs.

Rawal also strengthened the Indian innings by sharing 68 runs with Harleen Deol for the second wicket. Her innings was crucial in taking the team's score to a good level. Although she was bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba, by then she had already made a big contribution.

Rawal's streak began with an 89 against Ireland

Rawal's streak began with an 89 against Ireland in Rajkot, followed by scores of 67 and 154 in the same series. She continued with an unbeaten 50 against Sri Lanka before her knock against South Africa. In eight innings so far, Rawal has accumulated 572 runs, including one century and five fifties, at an average exceeding 80.

Rawal made her ODI debut in December 2024 against the West Indies in Vadodara, replacing Shafali Verma at the top of the order. She scored 40, 76, and 18 in that series before making an impact against Ireland earlier this year. Her consistent performances have quickly elevated her to one of India’s most promising top-order batters.

With this world record, Rawal also overtakes Mithali Raj’s Indian record of reaching 500 ODI runs in 13 innings, and becomes the fastest Indian — across men’s and women’s ODIs — to reach the landmark, ahead of Shubman Gill’s 10 innings.

The excitement of the triangular series continues

The tri-series being played between the women's teams of India, Sri Lanka and South Africa has started from April 27. Under this series, every team will play two matches each against the other two teams.

The top two teams in the points table after all the league matches will face each other for the title in the final on May 11. In this series, the players are getting a good opportunity to get into form and test the team combination.

India started the Tri-Nation Women's ODI series with a winning note as they defeated the host Sri Lanka by 9 wickets. India chased down Sri Lanka's 148-run target with 56 balls remaining in the match after Indian spinners dominated the Sri Lankan batters in the first innings.

The match was initially interrupted by rain which resulted in the loss of overs, reducing to 39 overs a side. Indian announced their arrival with an impressively controlled victory at the R. Premadasa Stadium stadium, Colombo.

Indian spinners dominated the game from the start

The Sri Lankan team, batting first, struggled to build partnership and were bowled out for 147 in 38.1 overs. Indian bowlers dominated the entire first inning with Arundhati Reddy dismissing the Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu and getting an early wicket for the team. It followed by an exceptional bowling performance leading to a constant flow of wickets, which completely shattered Sri Lanka’s batting line-up.

Sneh Rana was a star performer, who took 3 crucial wickets for India, with Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani taking 2 wickets each. Additionally, the on-field efforts of the Indian team was commendable in today's match.

During the second inning, India started off comfortably with the bat, without trying to rush things out. The opening pair, Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, formed a partnership of 54 runs for the first wicket. Smriti Mandhana missed out on her 31st ODI half-century and was dismissed at 43 (off 46 balls). 

Harleen Deol came to bat next and played composed cricket, scoring 48 runs from 71 balls. Sri Lanka failed to take more wickets, and Harleen Deol sealed the win for India with her exceptional half-century from 62 balls.

Both teams fielded 2 debutants

Kashvee Gautam (22-year-old), who impressed the fans with her bowling for Gujarat Giants in the WPL 2025, along with the star of Delhi Capitals, Sree Charani (20-year-old), made their International debut for India in this match. Charani picked up 2 wickets with an economy of 3.25 in today's match.

Sri Lanka also handed debuts to Malki Madara and Piumi Badalge.

India's shield-like batting power 

The Indian batters showcased an amazing quality of batting in this format. Smriti Mandhana, along with Pratika Rawal, provided a good start in the initial overs. They kept the flow of runs going with their bat. Smriti departed at 43 (from 46 balls) while trying to loft the ball over the bowler (Inoka Ranaweera), and wasn't lucky enough to make it through.

Harleen Deol stepped in after the wicket and made no mistakes, adding 48 runs off 71 balls from her bat. Pratika Rawal scored 50 off 62 balls, putting the winning runs on the board for India.

It felt like Indian batters were quite difficult to get out and stood up like solid walls, without losing their wickets. 

Steady headstart for India

India's win has lift up the team's spirit and confidence to another level. This was also a glimpse of the solid form and composure that the players hold in this Tri-series squad. 

In today's match, each bowler had an economy below 5, and the batters were incredible in chasing down the total, without losing many wickets.

The challenge ahead for Sri Lanka 

This defeat against India serves as a reminder for Sri Lanka to assess and improve their shortcomings. They failed to build partnership throughout the game, which led to a low total on the board. Hasini Perera's 30 from 46 balls was the highest score by a Sri Lankan batter in this match. 

Immediate Reflections and Long-term Goals

This being the ODI World Cup year, the immediate reflections for both the teams would be to shape their strategies, set grounds and make effective adjustments with the stage of the Tri-Nation ODI series among India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.

Score Summary

SL-W: 147 (38.1/39) | Kavisha Dilhari 25; Sneh Rana 8-31-3

IND-W: 149 (29.4/39) | Pratika Rawal 50* (62); Harleen Deol 48* (71)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the Indian Women's Cricket team's Tri-Nation ODI series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in Sri Lanka. The series would start on 27th April 2025. 

India will face South Africa and Sri Lanka twice in the series before the final, only if they qualify for that. The final will be played on 11th May 2025. 

Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the Women in Blue, while Smriti Mandhana will continue as her deputy. Partika Rawal, who impressed one and all in her debut series against West Indies and Ireland, will continue as Mandhana's partner at the top of the batting order. 

This meant that Shafali Verma, despite a solid Women's Premier League and domestic season, has been sidelined again. Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh will be the key batters for India, along with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who is fresh from leading Mumbai Indians to their second Women's Premier League title. 

Yastika Bhatia is the second wicket-keeper chosen for the series, who also can be an option at the top of the order. 

Deepti Sharma,  Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, and Arundhati Reddy will play the role of bowling all-rounders alongside youngsters like Kashvee Gautam, N Shree Charani and Shuchi Upadhyay earning their maiden India call-ups. 

India's premier fast bowlers, Renuka Singh Thakur and Titas Sadhu, are injured at the moment and were not available for selection. 

India's squad for the tri-series 

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Tejal Hasabnis, Sree Charani, Shuchi Upadhyay

Key points from the squad

1. Shafali Verma did not find a place in the squad despite a good domestic season and Women's Premier League 2025. 
2. Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana returned to squad. 
3. Pooja Vastrakar, pace bowling all-rounder, did not get a call up as Arundhati Reddy returned to the squad. 
4. Renuka Singh Thakur and Titas Sadhu were not available for selection due to injuries.
   
5. Kashvee Gautam, N Shree Charani and Shuchi Upadhyay earned their maiden India callups.

India's schedule for the tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa