The women’s U19 cricket world is going from strength to strength, and we are seeing more publicity and activity, and opportunities for our young cricketers. One example is the upcoming series of mini-tournaments that India is hosting in Mumbai.
New Zealand will feature in two of these tournaments and it should give the U19 teams involved the chance to prepare for the long-anticipated U19s T20 World Cup in January. We take a look at the currently known information about these tournaments in India.
Preparation for the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup
We hope to see the women’s T20 World Cup featured on sites such as Neon Vegas and given the chance to shine. Imagine betting on your favourite women’s teams at sportsbooks and then tuning in live for the T20 action?
In January, this may become a reality, with the inaugural women’s U19 T20 World Cup. The tournament will be hosted in South Africa and matches will be played from 14 to 19 January. We can expect some incredible matches and the chance to see upcoming international talent in the world of women’s cricket.
Sixteen teams will participate, including India, New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka – all of whom are competing in these mini tournaments hosted by India in November and December. Twelve of the teams earned a direct qualification, while Indonesia, Scotland, Rwanda and the UAE all earned a spot as part of separate qualifying tournaments.
Most teams are doing what they can to prepare for this tournament, as it is set to make history. Who wouldn’t want to shine in the first-ever U19s T20 World Cup? This will throw the spotlight on many young ladies and could potentially launch their career and take them to new heights. India, in particular, is looking to do well and this is why they are hosting the tri-series and quadrangular-series tournaments before the World Cup.
Two pre-World Cup tournaments to be held in Mumbai
It is clear that India is pushing their cricket and wants to build their reputation as a top contender in both the men’s and women’s sport. Cricket is the most popular sport in India by far and it stands to reason with such a large population that they have multiple teams across different ages and competitions.
We believe that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is holding these two U19 tournaments to boost the awareness of women’s cricket, but also, more importantly, to give the ladies some international action and preparation before the T20 World Cup in January.
Entering teams
- India Women’s U-19 Team A
- India Women’s U-19 Team B
- West Indies U-19 Team
- New Zealand U-19 Team
India has the depth and range of players to field two teams, and this is why there are two back-to-back tri-series tournaments.
The other competitors are the West Indies and New Zealand – both of whom have quality U19 teams and should put on some fantastic matches. Both of these teams qualified directly for the T20 World Cup.
Currently known information
The two tri-series tournaments will take place between 27 November and 6 December. New Zealand will face the Indian women’s U19 teams in five matches in total. The dates are currently scheduled to be 27 and 29 November, and 1, 4, and 6 December.
The BCCI has arranged the games to take place at the DY Patil Stadium and BKC Stadium and this has been agreed with the MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association). The DY Patil Stadium should be a grand arena for these matches, with its capacity of 55,000. It is used for many sporting events and even hosted the FIFA U17 World Cup.
There is also reported to be a U19s quadranglular T20 tournament that will be held in Mumbai between 13 and 19 November. This will include the Indian U19’s A and B teams, the Sri Lanka U19s team and the West Indies U19s team – New Zealand are not taking part in this.
This mini-series of tournaments held in the heart of Indian cricket should provide some fantastic gameplay and entertainment before the inaugural women’s U19 T20 World Cup. The teams will be hoping to show off their skills, put finishing touches to their rosters and test their strength against international opponents they could meet in January. We are excited to watch both the tri-series tournaments and the quadrangular tournament in November and December and will provide updates frequently!
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