Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that the achievement of the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup is a testimony to their unwavering focus, hard work, and wholehearted dedication.
Lauding the victory of the sportspersons in the ICC U19 T20 World Cup tournament, the Vice-President said: “On behalf of this august House and on my own, sharing the sentiments of the nation, congratulations to the Indian U-19 Women’s Cricket Team for bringing laurels to the country by winning the inaugural ICC U19 T20 World Cup World (women’s) tournament.”
“The monumental achievement of our young women sportspersons is a matter of great pride for the entire nation. Their accomplishment is testimony to their unwavering focus, tremendous hard work and whole-hearted dedication,” he added.
The Rajya Sabha chairman exuded confidence and said that the performance of the women sportspersons would set the tone for an upward trajectory in sports.
“Their spectacular performance will surely set the tone for an upward trajectory in sports and reflects changing sports ecosystem in the country,” he added.
India put up a terrific display in the final against England to emerge as the first-ever winners at the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday in South Africa.
Brief score: England 68 in 17.1 overs (Ryana Macdonald Gay 19, Alexa Stonehouse 11; Titas Sadhu 2-6) vs India 69-3 in 14 overs (Soumya Tiwari 24*, Gongadi Trisha 24; Hannah Baker 1-13).
As the Indian Women’s Under-19 team created history by winning the first-ever Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday, congratulatory messages poured in from political leaders and Bollywood celebrities across the country.
As India won the under-19 It was another clinical display with the ball that held the key to India’s march to victory, with Titas Sadhu setting the pace, with the spinners delivering another telling performance when it mattered.
Supplementing the fine bowling was outstanding fielding. The dismissal of England’s captain, Grace Scrivens, epitomized the sheer determination in the Indian ranks. The left-hander hit Archana towards long-off, where Gongadi Trisha sprinted in, then leaped forward to take an excellent, tumbling catch.
It was the key wicket, in many ways, and the celebrations from India confirmed as much. Scrivens would go on to scoop the Player of the Tournament award, but she would have given all of that up for a better English display with the bat.
Shafali Verma won the toss and elected to bowl, and Sadhu struck yet again in the first over. She hurried one onto Liberty Heap, who could only loop her attempted pull straight up and back to a gleeful Sadhu.
Her figures of two for 6 in four overs deservedly earned her the Player of the Match award with just the start that India craved. She was backed up well by Archana (two for 17) and the irrepressible Parshavi Chopra, who snared two for 13 to close out a terrific tournament offering.
There were also wickets apiece for Mannat Kashyap, Verma and Sonam Yadav, as England tumbled to 22 for four and then eventually 68 all out in 17.1 overs. After a tournament of free-scoring, only Ryana Macdonald-Gay (19 off 24 balls), Niamh Holland (10) and Sophia Smale (11) could reach double figures.
England’s hopes for more heroics with the ball were raised when they removed Verma (15) and Shweta Sehrawat (5) inside the first four overs. Verma hit a four and a six as she tried to put the heat on England early before she top-edged Hannah Baker to short fine-leg.
Soumya Tiwari and Trisha were having none of it. Tiwari smacked three fours in her 24 not out from 37 balls, while Trisha got more and more fluent as the target came into sight. Her 29-ball stay was ended on 24, bowled by Alexa Stonehouse as she tried to finish it off in style.