Meet the Indian stars from victorious U19 Women's T20 World Cup team

India hammered South Africa in the Women's U19 T20 World Cup to successfully defend their title. Meet some of the key players from the victorious Indian team who performed sensationally well in South Africa.

In Short

• India beat South Africa in the final of the U19 T20 World Cup
• Gongadi Trisha's all-round show helped India win by 9 wickets
• Here are some of the best performers in the tournament

India hammered South Africa by 9 wickets in the U19 Women's T20 World Cup on Sunday, February 9. Gongadi Trisha's all-round performance helped India clinch the match by a huge margin of 9 wickets, with 52 balls remaining.

Not only did Trisha pick up 3 wickets in her spell in the final, but she also scored an aggressive 44* in a chase of 83 runs. An elated Trisha was speechless after the match as she walked up to receive the Player of the Match award. Overwhelmed by the moment, she could only manage to dedicate her success to her father, offering a touching tribute to the support behind her journey.

"Means everything to me, right now I’m not able to say anything. Thank you to everyone for supporting me. The plan was to always focus on my strengths, and I did the same today as well... I’d like to dedicate this to my dad who is here. I always consider myself an all-rounder. My goal is to play for the country and win more matches," Trisha said.

ICC U19 T20 World Cup: IND vs SA Match Report

India captain Niki Prasad was elated that she was able to continue India's domination in the tournament, a promise she had made to herself and the nation ahead of the fixtures.

"We wanted to go out there and show what we can do. Thanks to the BCCI for giving us the best facilities. I’m feeling happy that I’m right here standing, making sure India stays on top. It's a special moment. At the start of the tournament, I mentioned we’re here to dominate, to ensure India stays on top," she said.

On that note, meet the top stars from India's U19 Women's T20 World Cup-winning team.

Gongadi Trisha

In red-hot form with the bat, Hyderabad's Trisha dominated the tournament like no other player. She set the record for most runs in a single edition of the event, amassing 309 runs in seven matches at a remarkable average of 77.25, including one century.

Trisha, whose cricketing journey was guided by her father, also contributed with her leg-spin, claiming seven wickets in as many matches, with a best of 3/6. Her all-around performances must have left WPL teams regretting their decision not to pick her.

G Kamalini

The left-handed opening batter from Tamil Nadu finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the World Cup, with 143 runs in seven innings at an average of 47.66. Though she had a slow start to the tournament, Kamalini found her form in the Super Six clash against Scotland, scoring 51, and followed it up with a crucial 56* against England in the semifinal.

After her impressive performances, Kamalini was bought by inaugural WPL winners Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.6 crore shortly after her 29-ball 44 for India against Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup. Initially passionate about skating, Kamalini took to cricket following in her brother’s footsteps, and her parents moved from Madurai to Chennai to support their children’s ambitions.

Vaishnavi Sharma

A left-arm orthodox bowler from Gwalior, Vaishnavi set a record for the most wickets (17) in any edition of the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup. She began with a sensational 5/5, including a hat-trick against Malaysia, who were bowled out for just 31 in the tournament opener. She followed up with figures of 1/3 against Sri Lanka, 3/15 against Bangladesh, 3/5 against Scotland, 3/23 against England, and 2/23 in the final against South Africa.

Aayushi Shukla

Known for their ability to hunt in packs, Aayushi proved to be the perfect foil for Vaishnavi in Malaysia. With a standout performance of 4/8 against Scotland, Aayushi finished the tournament with 14 wickets in seven matches.

India’s successful run to the final and eventual title win was largely due to the exploits of their bowlers, and Aayushi’s spin bowling played a key role in dismantling opposition batting line-ups.

Sanika Chalke

Mumbai’s Sanika played a pivotal role in India’s title-winning effort, striking the winning runs on Sunday with a boundary off Monalisa Legodi. As a dependable middle-order batter, Sanika supported the Indian openers with crucial knocks, playing a vital deputy role to skipper Niki Prasad.

Parunika Sisodia

India’s dominance with the ball wasn’t limited to Vaishnavi and Aayushi. Parunika’s 10 wickets provided solid backup to the team’s bowling attack. Another left-arm spinner in the squad, and now part of Gujarat Giants in the WPL, Parunika finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the competition. Her key performances included spells of 3/21 and 2/6 in the semifinal and final, respectively.

VJ Joshitha

Kerala's Joshitha was a crucial part of the Indian bowling attack, maintaining tight spells throughout the tournament. She claimed six wickets in as many matches, offering support to her teammates with her discipline and maintaining an economy rate of under five runs per over.

Shabnam Shakil

The 17-year-old from Visakhapatnam, who was also part of the previous World Cup-winning squad in South Africa, claimed four wickets in seven outings. Like Joshitha, Shabnam’s control with the ball was one of her standout contributions. With an economy rate just over 4 runs per over, she delivered 17 overs in total, finishing with a best of 2/9.