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)

Trisha Gongadi in action© X (Twitter)