Gongadi Trisha steers India to ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup victory

Trisha, who finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer, took three for 15 to help bowl South Africa out for 82 at the Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur.

She then led the run-chase, scoring 44 not out, to steer India to victory and a successful defence of the trophy they won in 2023.

South Africa were unable to score quickly enough in their innings and lost regular wickets as India’s spin bowlers took control, but this tournament marks excellent progress from the inaugural competition two years ago, where they failed to go beyond the Super Six stage.

India stifle South Africa batters

In a clash of the two unbeaten teams in the tournament, South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first in dry conditions, putting their star player Jemma Botha in the middle right away.

The opener struck 37 off 24 balls in the semi-final against Australia, a knock that was pivotal to securing victory, and her innings was always likely to be crucial to their chances of beating India.

Successive first-over boundaries – including a one-bounce four down the ground – was a fine way to start, but India hit back when Parunika Sisodia clean bowled Simone Lourens at the end of the second over with an angled delivery that nipped back into middle and leg stump.

It was the nerve-settler the defending champions needed but the key wicket was Botha, and it was always likely to require something special to take it. Fortunately for India, that came at the end of the fourth over.

Botha went after a Shabnam Shakil delivery, attempting a heave into the leg side. However, she instead got a thick edge and looked back in dismay as wicket-keeper Kamalini G dived, outstretched to her right and held onto a brilliant one-handed catch.

That took the steam out of South Africa’s innings, and India quickly took control.

Diara Ramlakan was bowled by Aayushi Shukla the very next ball, and the spin bowlers tied South Africa down. South Africa scored just 13 runs between the fourth and 10th overs, as boundaries were almost impossible to find on a slow, spin-friendly pitch.

Captain Kayla Reyneke and wicketkeeper Karabo Meso soaked up the pressure but then fell in successive overs while attempting big shots.

Mieke van Voorst added a late spark, firing an 18-ball 23, including three fours, but South Africa ran out of steam when she was stumped off a well-flighted Trisha delivery.

That sparked another burst of wickets that left South Africa all out for 82. Trisha (3-15) was the pick of the bowlers, while Sisodia (2-6), Shukla (2-9) and the tournament’s top wicket-taker Vaishnavi Sharma (2-23) all contributed.

Trisha takes over

South Africa knew they needed to bowl India out to win the title and they came extremely close to the key wicket in the first over.

Nthabiseng Nini took the new ball and found Trisha’s outside edge but, agonisingly, the ball was just out of reach for wicket-keeper Meso and raced to the boundary.

Trisha then flirted with danger in the second over, by punching a cover drive on the up that landed just wide of the fielder – and then rubbed salt into the South African wounds by smacking another ball over the infield for a one-bounce four.

Three more fours followed in the fourth over, as the opener continued to score at around her tournament-average 149.7 strike rate.

South Africa took their first wicket shortly after as Kamalini (8) was caught spectacularly in the deep by Lourens.

But Trisha continued to play aggressively, scoring eight boundaries in her innings, while a single in the ninth over moved her to 35, and the first player to score 300 runs in a single edition of the tournament.

Sanika Chalke hit four boundaries in a breezy 26 not out to support Trisha, and hit the winning runs in the 12th over, with a four to the square leg boundary to spark wild celebrations in the Indian camp.

Scores in brief

South Africa v India – Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur

South Africa 82 all out in 20 overs (Mieke van Voorst 23, Jemma Botha 16; Gongadi Trisha 3/15, Parunika Sisodia 2/6)

India 84 for one in 11.2 overs (Gongadi Trisha 44 not out, Sanika Chalke 26 not out; Kayla Reyneke 1/14)

Result: India won by nine wickets