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Will India complete a historic double? Can Australia regain lost ground? Will this be eternal bridesmaid South Africa’s turn to stand under the spotlight? Or will an underdog script a thrilling triumph? The 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, starting on June 12 in England, offers several exciting possibilities. Here is a look at the contenders and challengers.

Also read | ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Groups, full schedule with time and venues

India

After winning the ODI World Cup last year (2025), India will be eager to bag the T20 version to complete a grand double, something only Australia has managed to achieve. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side has the wherewithal to do it, evidenced by their series wins at home against Sri Lanka and Australia in the last six months.

But India faltered against South Africa (4-1) and England (2-1) away, and they will also miss the wily pace all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who could have been a key operator in English conditions.

The Women in Blue will hope that the batters will find their groove from the outset, and the pace trio of Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy and Kranti Goud can come up with incisive spells.

Some of the leading players such as Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet, Deepti Sharma, and Richa Ghosh have played in the Hundred and Kia Super League, and that experience will come handy.

Australia

The six-time winners have a new skipper in Sophie Molineux after Alyssa Healy called it a day.

But Australia’s real strength is in their familiar, proven core — Elysse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Megan Schutt, Alana King, and Beth Mooney.

The addition of prolific opener Georgia Voll and left-arm pacer Lucy Hamilton has further strengthened their squad.

The Aussies are entering an ICC event without a trophy in their kitty for the first time since 2017, and they will certainly want to correct that anomaly.

New Zealand

The title holders are coming with a squad that has experience and youth in the right mix, and could be a tough bunch to beat.

Their hopes will revolve mainly around Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu. The Kiwis want to win the title for them as the troika will move away after this showpiece.

However, all-rounder Amelia Kerr will be a key factor in New Zealand’s run as she has been in wonderful touch of late with the bat. She was the player of the final and tournament in 2024.

Her reputation and skill-set have only gone up in the last two years.

England

The home side will be eagerly monitoring the fitness of regular skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who missed the recent series against India. She is expected to be fit for the tournament.

But England, led by Charlie Dean, proved in that series that they can win without Sciver-Brunt, coming back from a 0-1 deficit to register a 2-1 victory.

They also have very handy players in Alice Capsey, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Freya Kemp and veterans Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

South Africa

In their effort to land a maiden title, South Africa has brought in experienced pacer Shabnim Ismail, but their real strength lies in flexible players like Nadine de Klerk, Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon and Dane van Niekerk, who can land a heavy punch at any stage of the game.

Led by a composed Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa also have a capable bowling unit in Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka and Annerie Dercksen.

They are in the same group as India and Australia, and that makes it mandatory for them to always be on their guard to progress to the semifinals.

The Darkhorse: Sri Lanka

The Islanders are the form side coming into this World Cup, winning five away matches against Bangladesh and the West Indies.

The most obvious star in their team is skipper Chamari Athapaththu, who will have to play a huge role with the bat in the tournament.

But over the last couple of years, the Lankans have managed to reduce the dependence on their talisman, having unearthed talents like Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunarathne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshika Silva and Kaveesha Dilhari.

But they don’t have a pace attack to bank upon, and spinners will be expected to stifle the opposition. The impact that slow bowlers can make in England is debatable.

It could be their Achilles Heel in the event.

Published – June 09, 2026 12:48 pm IST

The tenth edition of ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup 2026 will be held in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, 2026.

A total of 12 teams will compete in 33 matches across seven venues in England.

The number of teams was increased to 12, which included a host team, top five teams from the previous edition, two highest-ranked teams in the ICC Women’s T20I rankings and four other teams determined through qualifiers. Netherlands qualified for the first time.

“New Zealand is the defending champion, having won the 2024 edition.”

The teams playing in the World Cup are: England (host), Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland.

There will be two groups of 6 each

Group A: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Netherlands, Pakistan and South Africa

Group B: England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Sri Lanka and West Indies

Full schedule of the World Cup matches (all times in IST)

June 12, 2026:

England vs Sri Lanka in Birmingham — 11 p.m.

June 13, 2026:

Scotland vs Ireland in Manchester — 3 p.m.

Australia vs South Africa in Manchester — 11 p.m.

West Indies vs New Zealand in Southampton — 11 p.m.

June 14, 2026

Bangladesh vs Netherlands in Birmingham — 3 p.m.

India vs Pakistan in Birmingham — 7 p.m.

June 16, 2026

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka in Southampton — 7 p.m.

England vs Ireland in Southampton — 11 p.m.

June 17, 2026

Australia vs Bangladesh in Leeds — 3 p.m.

India vs Netherlands in Leeds — 7 p.m.

South Africa vs Pakistan in Birmingham — 11 p.m.

June 18, 2026

West Indies vs Scotland in Leeds — 11 p.m.

June 19, 2026

New Zealand vs Ireland in Southampton — 11 p.m.

June 20, 2026

Australia vs Netherlands in Southampton — 3 p.m.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh in Southampton — 7 p.m.

England vs Scotland in Leeds — 11 p.m.

June 21, 2026

West Indies vs Sri Lanka in Bristol — 3 p.m.

South Africa vs India in Manchester — 7 p.m

June 23, 2026

New Zealand vs Scotland in Bristol — 3 p.m.

Sri Lanka vs Ireland in Bristol — 7 p.m.

Australia vs Pakistan in Leeds — 11 p.m.

June 24, 2026

England vs West Indies at Lords, London — 11 p.m.

June 25, 2026

India vs Bangladesh in Manchester — 7 p.m.

South Africa vs Netherlands in Bristol — 11 p.m.

June 26, 2026

Sri Lanka vs Scotland in Manchester — 11 p.m.

June 27, 2026

Pakistan vs Netherlands in Bristol — 3 p.m.

West Indies vs Ireland in Bristol — 7 p.m.

England vs New Zealand at the Oval, London — 11 p.m.

June 28, 2026

South Africa vs Bangladesh at Lords, London — 3 p.m.

Australia vs India at Lords, London — 7 p.m.

June 30, 2026

Group A winner vs Group B runner-up: first semifinal at the Oval, London — 7 p.m.

July 2, 2026

Group B winner vs Group A runner-up: Second semifinal at the Oval, London — 11 p.m.

July 5, 2026

The final at Lords, London — 7 p.m.

Published – May 26, 2026 03:18 pm IST

India’s march to a second successive U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup title triumph here brought to the fore a dazzling array of talents that will stand the country in good stead going forward. Having outclassed every team during their march to the final, India asserted themselves yet again, getting the job done with as many as 52 balls to spare and became the first team to win the tournament without dropping a single game. We take a look at some of India’s key performers in the top age-group tournament:

Gongadi Trisha: In red-hot form with the bat, Hyderabad’s Trisha ruled the tournament like no other player. Setting the record for most runs in a single edition of the event, the all-rounder amassed 309 runs in seven matches at a whopping average of 77.25 with one century.

Trisha, whose journey was charted by her father, chipped in with her leg-spin, too, as she claimed seven wickets in as many matches with a best of 3/6. Her performances here must have left the WPL teams ruing their decision to not pick her in their teams.

G Kamalini: The left-handed opening batter from Tamil Nadu finished as the third highest scorer in the World Cup with 143 runs in seven innings at 47.66. While she did not have a bright start to the tournament, Kamalini came into her elements in the Super Six clash against Scotland with a knock of 51, and struck 56 not out against England in the semifinal.

She was bought by inaugural WPL winners Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.6 crore in the auction shortly after she hit a 29-ball 44 for India against Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup. In the beginning, Kamalini loved skating but took to cricket following her brother’s footsteps and to support the children, their parents moved from Madurai to Chennai.

Vaishnavi Sharma: A left-arm orthodox bowler from Gwalior, Vaishnavi created the record for most wickets (17) in any edition of the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. She began with a 5/5, including a hat-trick against Malaysia, who were shot out for a mere 31 in the tournament opener, took 1/3 against Sri Lanka, 3/15 against Bangladesh, 3/5 against Scotland, 3/23 against England and 2/23 against South Africa in the final.

Aayushi Shukla: They say bowlers hunt in packs and Aayushi proved to be a perfect foil for Vaishnavi in Malaysia. With her best figures of 4/8 coming against Scotland, Aayushi claimed a total of 14 wickets in seven matches.

India sailed comfortably into the final of the tournament and clinched the title largely due to the exploits of their bowlers and Aayushi’s spin bowling proved to be too difficult for all opponents.

Sanika Chalke: Mumbai’s Sanika was the one to hit the winning runs on Sunday when she cracked a four off Monalisa Legodi to take India to the title win. Playing the perfect deputy to skipper Niki Prasad, Sanika provided a strong backing to the Indian openers with crucial knocks in the middle-order.

Parunika Sisodia: India’s domination in bowling was not all about Vaishnavi and Aayushi as Parunika’s 10 wickets backed them up perfectly. Another left-arm spinner in the ranks and who is in the roster for Gujarat Giants in the WPL, Parunika finished as the fourth highest wicket-taker in the competition with spells of 3/21 and 2/6 in the semifinal and the final.

VJ Joshitha: Kerala’s Joshitha was another vital cog in the Indian bowling attack with tight spells as she claimed an overall six wickets in as many outings and supported others with her discipline, maintaining an economy rate of under five an over.

Shabnam Shakil: The 17-year-old from Visakhapatnam, a member from the previous World Cup-winning campaign in South Africa, claimed four wickets in seven outings. Like Joshitha, Shabnam’s control with the ball throughout the tournament was the highlight of her contribution.

With an economy rate of little over 4 runs per over, Shabnam delivered 17 overs across the seven games with a best of 2/9. 

With PTI inputs

An utterly dominant India flaunted their embarrassment of riches to win a second successive U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup title with a nine-wicket shellacking of South Africa in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, the triumph giving a peek into the game’s most perfectly calibrated youth structure. Having outclassed every team during their march to the final, India asserted themselves yet again, getting the job done with as many as 52 balls to spare and became the first team to win the tournament without dropping a single game.

The biggest star of the day was all-rounder Gongadi Trisha, who followed up her excellent 3/15 with an unbeaten 33-ball 44 while batting.

South Africa, led by Kayla Reyneke, opted to bowl first, but their decision backfired quickly as India’s three-pronged spin attack bowled them out for 82.

Left-arm spinner Aayushi Shukla was the star of the show with figures of 4-2-9-2, while leg-spinner Trisha, who has also been a revelation with the bat, further underlined her all-round capabilities with her triple strikes with the ball.

Trisha once again anchored India’s chase with an unbeaten knock that was studded with eight fours.

Vice-captain Sanika Chalke (26 not out; 22 balls, 4×4) sealed the victory with a powerful heave to the square-leg boundary, forcing the young Indian players, draped in the Tricolour, to break into wild celebrations.

“I’ve dreamt of this moment for the past two years, and I can’t believe I hit the winning runs — it’s truly surreal. My teammates’ support made all the difference, and this moment is one I’ll cherish forever,” said Sanika after the match.

Left-arm spinner Parunika (4-0-6-2) provided India with an immediate breakthrough, dismissing opener Simone Lourens for a duck as South Africa struggled from the outset.

Right-arm seamer Shabnam Shakil (2-0-7-1) then removed the dangerous Jemma Botha, reducing South Africa to 20/2 by the end of the fourth over.

The pressure intensified when Aayushi bowled Diara Ramlakan, further denting South Africa’s innings.

At the halfway mark, South Africa were struggling at 33/3, unable to gain any momentum.

Captain Kayla Reyneke (7) tried to stabilise the innings but fell to Trisha, who later stumped Mieke van Voorst (23) to break a promising 30-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Their skipper attempted to break free but perished while trying to go big, holing out to Trisha at long-off.

Despite Fay Cowling (15; 20 balls) and Mieke van Voorst putting up a small resistance, South Africa’s struggles continued.

The duo tried to rebuild but with just four overs remaining, South Africa were precariously placed at 58/5.

Trisha’s breakthrough then triggered a collapse and they were eventually bowled out in the final delivery of their innings.

India got off to a strong start in their chase, scoring briskly with a steady flow of singles and boundaries.

Trisha was once again the aggressor with her exquisite strokes, while Kamalini G also chipped in.

The opening partnership was moving smoothly until Kamalini was dismissed for 8, caught by Simone Lourens off Kayla Reyneke’s bowling, leaving India at 36/1 in 4.3 overs.

Sanika faced a few dot balls before settling in as South Africa’s wayward bowling and fielding also helped India’s cause.

Trisha , on the other hand, continued to exude confidence, accumulating runs with a mix of singles and boundaries.

The steady flow of runs kept the momentum high, as India reached 71/1 at the halfway mark of their innings.

The defending champions enjoyed a flawless campaign, winning all their group-stage matches against the West Indies, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.

Their winning momentum continued in the Super Six stage with victories over Bangladesh and Scotland.

In the semi-final, India delivered a commanding performance against England to extend their unbeaten run to six matches. 

India Women vs South Africa Women U-19 LIVE Updates© X (Twitter)

India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final Live Streaming: After a flawless run in the entire tournament, India are all set to square off against South Africa in the final match of the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur. Unbeaten so far in the tournament, a dominant India will start as overwhelming favourites to win their second consecutive title. The Niki Prasad-led side has been in red-hot form across departments. India registered dominating wins over the West Indies (9 wickets), Malaysia (10 wickets), Sri Lanka (60 runs), Bangladesh (8 wickets), Scotland (150 runs) and England (9 wickets in the semifinal).

When will the India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match take place?

The India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match will take place on Sunday, February 2 (IST).

Where will the India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match be held?

The India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match will be held at the Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur.

What time will the India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match start?

The India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match will start at 11:30 AM IST. The toss will take place at 12:00 PM IST.

Which TV channels will show the live telecast of the India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match?

The India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match will be televised live on the Star Sports network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match?

The India vs South Africa, Women’s U19 T20 World Cup Final match will be live streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

Unbeaten so far in the tournament, a dominant India will start as overwhelming favourites to win their second consecutive title when they take on South Africa in the final of the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup here on Sunday. India have had a flawless campaign so far, winning all their six matches in the tournament. The Niki Prasad-led side has been in red-hot form across departments. India registered dominating wins over the West Indies (9 wickets), Malaysia (10 wickets), Sri Lanka (60 runs), Bangladesh (8 wickets), Scotland (150 runs) and England (9 wickets in the semifinal).

In-from opener Gongadi Trisha has been in ominous form with the bat, and is the highest run-getter in the tournament with 265 runs in six innings at an average of 66.25. She is followed by her left-handed opening partner G Kamalini, who is third in the list with 135 runs in six innings at an average of 45.

But the worrying factor for India would be the lack of time and opportunity at the crease for the middle-order, as most of the runs have been scored by the openers.

On the bowling front too, the Indians are ruling the roost, with the slow left-arm orthodox duo of Vaishnavi Sharma and Aayushi Shukla occupying the top spots on the wicket-takers’ list.

While Vaishnavi is leading with 15 scalps at an average of 3.40, her team-mate Aayushi has picked up 12 wickets in the competition so far at an average of 5.91.

The duo is expected to play a crucial role in the final as well on the slow, turning wickets here.

South Africa, on the other hand, qualified for their first-ever ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup final following an impressive five-wicket win over Australia in the semifinal and will be looking to upset the Indians en route to the title.

Squads:

India: Niki Prasad (c), Sanika Chalke, G Trisha, Kamalini G, Bhavika Ahire, Ishwari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, Joshitha VJ, Sonam Yadav, Parunika Sisodiya, Kesari Drithi, Aayushi Shukla, Anandita Kishor, MD Shabnam, Vaishnavi S.

South Africa: Simone Lourens, Karabo Meso, Kayla Reyneke (c), Jemma Botha, Seshnie Naidu, Diara Ramlakan, Monalisa Legodi, Nthabiseng Nini, Fay Cowling, Jae-Leigh Filander, Luyanda Nzuza, D van Rensburg, Mieke van Voorst, Ashleigh van Wyk, Chanel Venter.

Match starts at 12:00 PM IST.

Not worrying about pressure and being “ruthless” have been the hallmark of the Indian team so far as it aims to retain the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, said left-arm spinner Parunika Sisodia after guiding her side to the final of the prestigious tournament on Friday. India are just win away from retaining the title when they take on South Africa on Sunday and Parunika said the team enters every match with the determination to dominate. India crushed England by nine wickets to set up a summit clash with South Africa, who defeated Australia by five wickets in the other semifinal.

“We have made it our motto that we are not going to worry about pressure, we are just going to enjoy the game. Whatever happens, we will go through it together. It’s ’11 against all’,” Parunika, who returned excellent figures of 3/21 in four overs, told ICC after the match.

“We have been playing together for seven or eight months. Our support staff has always been there and made sure we are together, making sure we are having fun,” she added.

Parunika had a major task to achieve after England were off to a flying start, racing to 37 for no loss after four overs. She made an instant impact, removing Jemima Spence and Trudy Johnson to stem the flow of runs, before coming back to dismiss the dangerous Katie Jonesas the rivals were restricted to 113/8.

G Kamalini then struck a fine half-century as India reached the target in 15 overs for the loss of one wicket.

“This was the goal, getting to the final and performing well all through the tournament. We are here to dominate, and every time we enter the field that is the goal, we are going to dominate and be ruthless,” she said.

“I’m happier that we are in the final than getting ‘player of the match’ or getting those wickets. Since this morning, I had that butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling. It’s relaxed now that we are finally there, one more game to go.” The 19-year-old said that speaking to her father Sudhir Singh Sisodia, a former domestic player and her coach, before every match gives her the confidence to go all out in every match.

“Today, I woke up very early and had nothing to do. We have a team room so I went there and had a yoga and meditation session. Then I came back, had breakfast and talked to my dad.

“I will always talk to my dad before coming to a match. He played domestic cricket and now he is a coach and me playing is something that has deepened our bond.” “When I was younger, every time he used to take me to a ground, I was never interested at first, but gradually I started getting that interest. He is the happiest person to see his daughter choosing the game that he loved. I’m very happy to give that happiness to my dad,” she added. 

India would like to continue their flawless campaign when they take on England in the semifinal of the Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup here on Friday. Following a 10-wicket thrashing of hosts Malaysia in their tournament opener, India hammered Sri Lanka by 60 runs, Bangladesh by eight wickets in their first Super Six game and ended the round with a massive 150-run win over Scotland. The Niki Prasad-led side has been in red-hot form across departments with their last Super Six outing against Scotland sounding an ominous warning to the opponents.

The in-form opener Gongadi Trisha notched up a fabulous 110 off 59 balls with 13 fours and four sixes, while her opening partner G Kamalini also gave a commanding display with a 42-ball 51.

With scores of 4, 27 not out, 49, 40 and 110, Trisha has been the leading run-scorer in the competition with 230 runs in five outings at 76.66, way ahead of England’s best batter Davina Perrin who has 131 runs to show from four matches at 32.75 with one fifty.

India had shot our Scotland for a mere 58 runs in 14 overs in a Super Six match with Vaishnavi Sharma (3/5), Aayushi Shukla (4/8) and Trisha (3/6) leading the charge.

Vaishnavi and Aayushi have been at the forefront in the bowling department with 12 and 10 wickets respectively in the competition, which has helped India’s cause to a great extent.

England will be wary of India’s batting firepower and hope their players find their touch quickly in the contest, as a couple of wins and as many defeats in the four Super Six games do not really instil confidence.

Teams:

India: Niki Prasad (c), Sanika Chalke, G Trisha, Kamalini G, Bhavika Ahire, Ishwari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, Joshitha VJ, Sonam Yadav, Parunika Sisodiya, Kesari Drithi, Aayushi Shukla, Anandita Kishor, MD Shabnam, Vaishnavi S.

England: Abi Norgrove (c), Phoebe Brett, Olivia Brinsden, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Trudy Johnson, Katie Jones, Charlotte Lambert, Eve O’Neill, Davina Perrin, Jemima Spence, Charlotte Stubbs, Amuruthaa Surenkumar, Prisha Thanawala, Erin Thomas, Grace Thompson.

Match starts at 12:00pm IST.