LONDON, England – The West Indies Under-19 women’s team will begin their 2025 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign with a high-stakes opener against defending champions India, as announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday.
The tournament, featuring 16 teams, will run from January 18 to February 2, 2025, in Malaysia, which will host the event solo after Thailand withdrew as co-hosts.
The West Indies have been drawn into Group A, which includes defending champions India, Sri Lanka, and hosts Malaysia. Their tournament opener is scheduled for January 19, with the West Indies taking on India, while earlier in the day, Malaysia will face Sri Lanka at the Bayuemas Oval.
Second edition
This will be the second edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, following a successful inaugural event in 2023 in South Africa, where India claimed the title by defeating England by seven wickets in a thrilling final.
Malaysia will be making their first appearance in an ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, as will Samoa, who are also competing in an ICC World Cup event for the first time.
The tournament format will see the 16 teams divided into four groups. Group B includes England, Pakistan, Ireland, and the USA; Group C features New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa, and an African qualifier; while Group D consists of Australia, Bangladesh, Scotland, and an Asian qualifier. The top teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, starting on January 25, where two groups of six teams will compete to determine the semi-finalists and, ultimately, the finalists.
If India qualifies for the semi-finals, they will play in Semi-Final 2, scheduled for January 31.
Enthusiasm for the upcoming event
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming event, emphasizing its significance for the growth of women’s cricket globally. “We are delighted to announce the schedule for the second edition of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and bringing an ICC event of this stature to Malaysia for the first time since the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2008,” Allardice said.
He continued, “This is a special event to the ICC and forms an important part of our global growth strategy of 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.”
Host Tournament Director for the ICC U19 Women’s World Cup 2025, Dinesh Muthuraman, noted the rapid growth of women’s cricket worldwide and expressed confidence that this World Cup would continue to drive that momentum. “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.
The 2025 ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup promises to be an exciting event, showcasing the future stars of women’s cricket and expanding the reach of the sport across the globe.
