Twentytwo13

Indian captain Nikki Prasad expects tough match against Sri Lanka in ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup

India’s bowlers bowled out the West Indies and Malaysia in its opening two matches at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

Two matches and two victories without breaking a sweat, but India’s Nikki Prasad knows it will be quite different when her team faces Sri Lanka in the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Group A match at Bayuemas Cricket Oval in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, tomorrow afternoon.

Both teams have guaranteed their passage into the Super 6 round with comfortable wins in their opening two matches, with tomorrow’s encounter set to decide the group champions.

The other teams in the group are the West Indies and the hosts, Malaysia, who will face each other earlier in the day.

The defending champions India opened their campaign by bowling out the West Indies for 44 runs in 13.2 overs on Jan 19, winning by nine wickets.

Two days later, India registered a more emphatic win when they bowled out Malaysia for 31 runs in 14.3 overs, needing only 17 balls to reach the 32 runs required for a 10-wicket victory.

Speaking to the host broadcast after the match, Indian captain Nikki Prasad said: “Sri Lanka will be our toughest test, and I’m looking forward to it.

“We would like to continue the momentum and replicate our performance against Sri Lanka with better bowling and batting.”

The star of India’s win over Malaysia was debutant Vaishnavi Sharma, who took five wickets for just five runs in her four overs, including a hat-trick. She also had a maiden over.

“We made one change to our line-up against Malaysia, and Vaishnavi was incredible. It was quite special and we hope to build on that.”

Sri Lanka is second in the group after beating Malaysia by 139 runs and the West Indies by 81 runs.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali commended the national players for their fighting spirit against two vastly superior opponents.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final group match against the West Indies, Mohammed Iqbal Ali said: “This is the first time our players are facing teams of such calibre. They are disappointed by the defeats but can hold their heads high as they played well. We need to continue with this positive energy as we prepare for the next match”.

Mohammed Iqbal Ali reiterated that the team is one for the future, with the MCA looking towards the 2028 and 2032 Olympics.

Cricket will return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 and will also be featured in the 2032 Brisbane Games. It made its only appearance in the 1900 Olympics.

The International Cricket Council has yet to announce the pathway to the Olympics, but Mohammed Iqbal Ali wants the girls to gain as much experience and exposure as possible over the next three to seven years.

“This women’s Under-19 team will form the backbone of our senior team in the coming years. Therefore, what is crucial now is for them to acquire the valuable experience of playing in a World Cup,” he said.

Main image: MCA / ICC