Synopsis
Trisha Gongadi's all-round brilliance led India to a dominant victory against South Africa, securing the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title with a nine-wicket win. The match showcased India's strength and skill at the U19 women’s level, culminating in their second consecutive championship win.Key Takeaways
- Trisha Gongadi starred with both bat and ball for India.
- India restricted South Africa to just 82 runs.
- Sanika Chalke contributed significantly to the chase.
- This marks India's second consecutive U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title.
- India became the first team to win the title without a loss.
Kuala Lumpur, Feb 2 (NationPress) Trisha Gongadi delivered an impressive all-round display as India successfully defended their U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title with a commanding nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the final at the Bayuemas Oval on Sunday.
A remarkable bowling effort, particularly from the spinners who claimed nine wickets—three by Trisha—combined with solid fielding allowed Niki Prasad-led India to restrict South Africa to just 82 runs on a sluggish pitch.
During the chase, Trisha scored an unbeaten 44 off 33 balls while Sanika Chalke contributed a vital 26 not out from 22 deliveries, leading India to victory in just 11.2 overs, thus clinching the title for the second consecutive time, having previously won it in 2023 in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
This marks India’s second successive victory in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, highlighting the significant gap between them and other nations at the U19 women’s level, as they became the first team to win the title without suffering a loss.
While chasing 83, India commenced their innings with Trisha edging the ball wide of the keeper for four runs off Nthabiseng Nini. She then impressively struck Fay Cowling over covers for two more fours, before G Kamalini started her innings with a boundary off Kayla Reyneke.
Trisha exhibited a special affinity for Seshnie Naidu’s leg-spin, skillfully cutting the ball between cover and point, navigating past short third region, and launching a full toss over fine leg to secure three fours, as India raced to 36 without loss in just four overs.
Kamalini was dismissed for eight in the fifth over after attempting to clear the boundary but instead hitting the ball to long-on. Once Sanika Chalke got off the mark with an exquisite drive between cover and mid-off, Trisha continued to find the gaps, hitting the ball between deep mid-wicket and long-on for four more.
With Sanika delivering a powerful shot over Ashleigh van Wyk’s head and narrowly missing a dive from long-off, India was only 25 runs away from their target. The pair effectively rotated the strike, with Sanika hitting Jemma Botha for another four.
Trisha guided Jemma past the keeper for four, followed by Sanika smashing a boundary to square leg, securing the winning runs for India.
Brief Scores: South Africa 82 all out (Mieke van Voorst 23, Fay Cowling 15; Trisha Gongadi 3-15, Parunika Sisodia 2-6) lost to India 84/1 in 11.2 overs (Trisha Gongadi 44 not out, Sanika Chalke 26 not out; Kayla Reyneke 1-14) by nine wickets.
