WI Women to face champs India in U19 T20 World Cup opener

LONDON—The West Indies’ Under-19 women’s team will kick off their 2025 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against defending champions India when the tournament gets underway next January.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced the schedule for the tournament, which will feature 16 teams and run from January 18 to February 2, 2025, in Malaysia.

Malaysia will be the sole host of the World Cup following Thailand’s withdrawal as co-host.

The West Indies, who have been drawn in Group A alongside the defending champs, Sri Lanka, and hosts Malaysia, will face India on January 19, with hosts Malaysia facing Sri Lanka earlier in the day at Bayuemas Oval.

The second edition of the competition follows a successful inauguration in South Africa in 2023, where India beat England by seven wickets in a thrilling final to be crowned the first-ever winners.

It will be Malaysia’s first appearance in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, as well as Samoa’s first appearance in an ICC World Cup event.

Group B will feature England, Pakistan, Ireland, and the USA; Group C includes New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa, and a qualifier from Africa; and Australia, Bangladesh, Scotland, and a qualifier from Asia make up Group D.

The format will see teams progress from the group stages to enter the Super Six stage starting on January 25, where two groups of six teams will compete to determine the semi-finalists and the subsequent finalists.

If India qualifies for the semi-finals, they will play Semi-Final 2, which will take place on January 31.

ICC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Geoff Allardice, said: “We are delighted to announce the schedule for the second edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and bring an ICC event of this stature to Malaysia for the first time since the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2008.

“This is a special event for the ICC and forms an important part of our Global Growth Strategy for raising the profile of women’s cricket and further growing the game around the world. It is also a unique opportunity to introduce our vast global audiences to the future stars of the sport,” Allardice said.

“We look forward to building on the success of the foundation laid at the inaugural event in South Africa in 2023. We wish all the teams the very best of luck in their preparation and to the Malaysian Cricket Association in organising the event.”

Host Tournament Director for the ICC U19 Women’s World Cup 2025, Dinesh Muthuraman, said she had seen an upsurge in women’s cricket around the world.

“Women’s cricket is experiencing unprecedented growth both in Malaysia and around the world. We are fully confident that this World Cup will further accelerate that momentum, leading to significant developments in the sport, especially for women’s cricket,” she said. (CMC)

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