India U-19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025: Defending champions India got off to a commanding start to their U-19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025 campaign, annihilating West Indies by a convincing nine wickets in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, January 19. This victory came on the heels of their successful U19 Women's Asia Cup triumph at the same venue last year.
India bowlers pulverise West Indies batters
Opting to field first after winning the toss, India's bowlers started their blitzkrieg right from the outset. Right-arm pacer VJ Joshitha made early inroads, dismissing West Indies captain Samara Ramnath and Naojanni Cumberbatch within the first four overs. This early setback proved insurmountable for the Caribbean side, as they crumbled under consistent pressure from the Indian bowlers.
The West Indies batting order struggled throughout the innings, with five batters failing to score. Jahazara Claxton, Brianna Harricharan, Kristen Sutherland, and Selena Ross joined Cumberbatch in recording ducks, contributing to their team's dismal total of 44 runs in just 13.2 overs. This comprehensive victory sets a strong foundation for India's campaign in the U19 Women's T20 World Cup.
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Joshitha was instrumental in India's dominant performance, claiming two wickets for just five runs. Her impressive figures earned her the Player of the Match award. Aayushi Shukla, the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup, continued her strong form, picking up two wickets while maintaining an exceptional economy rate of 1.50. Parunika Sisodia, another key bowler from the Asia Cup, contributed significantly with three wickets for seven runs. Shabnam Shakil, a member of the victorious 2023 U19 World Cup squad, was unable to make a breakthrough in this match.
The chase for the modest target of 45 runs was expected to be a routine affair, and it indeed proved to be. While Gongadi Trisha, India's leading run-scorer in the Asia Cup, was dismissed early by Jahazara Claxton, G Kamalini and Sanika Chalke ensured a swift and comfortable victory for India, reaching the target within just 4.2 overs.
Kamalini, who was bought by Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 1.60 crore in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 auction, cracked 16 runs off 13 balls riding on three boundaries. Alongside her, the left-handed Sanika also found some rhythm, contributing a quick-fire 18 runs, which included three fours, boosting her confidence.
With this victory, India rose to the top of the Group A table, accumulating two points and a net run rate of 8.646. They will next lock horns with host team, Malaysia, on Tuesday, January 21.