Unbeaten India and South Africa ready to face-off in ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 Final

Unbeaten India and South Africa ready to face-off in ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 Final(Source: ICC/X)

The last two remaining and unbeaten teams will face-off in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 Final at Bayuemas Oval as South Africa look to dethrone reigning champions India. Both impressed in their semi-finals, South Africa chasing down a target of 106 for a five-wicket win over Australia, before India managed success by nine wickets against England.

With both teams having won every completed game so far, they come into the final in fine form with key players set to decide who comes out on top.

Here are some of the main head-to-heads

Batters: Gongadi Trisha v Jemma Botha

Nobody has scored more runs in the tournament than Gongadi Trisha, whose 265 runs are nearly 100 more than her closest rival.

Alongside G Kamalini – third for runs with 135 – Trisha has given India the perfect start time and again, averaging 66.25 across her six innings with the only hundred of the tournament so far.

Not only that, she has scored her runs at a strike rate of 149.71, comfortably the most of any player to have reached 100 runs overall.

In their semi-final, South Africa showed that they have a power hitter of their own, Jemma Botha looked in fine form as she smashed 37 off just 24 balls to set them on course for a comfortable chase.

She has been the pick of the South African batters, although a combination of rain and chasing small targets has limited her opportunity to rack up quite as many runs as Trisha. Still, with 89 runs at an average of just under 30, she is the seventh most prolific batter in the tournament.

Captaincy: Niki Prasad v Kayla Reyneke

So far in this tournament, Niki Prasad has largely been needed from a leadership perspective, with India’s impressive top order batting meaning that she has limited chances in the middle. She did score 11 in a 31-run partnership with Trisha against Sri Lanka before cracking five runs off two balls to finish off the win over Bangladesh.

Aside from that though, her main task has been managing her team, something she did impressively against England after Davina Perrin had got after the Indian seamers. Prasad did not panic and rotated her slow bowlers to perfection to keep the target manageable.

South Africa, meanwhile, have seen a lot more of Kayla Reyneke in action. She has been their standout bowler, taking 10 wickets at a strike rate of 7.6, including stunning figures of three for two against Ireland. Reyneke has also done her bit with the bat, particularly in the last two games, scoring an unbeaten 16 in that win over Ireland, before her 26 eased any nerves in the semi-final chase.

Bowlers: Vaishnavi Sharma v Ashleigh van Wyk

Exactly which bowlers will be key on the day is hard to say, but both sides will know that if they are to come out on top, they will have to limit the impact of the spinners.

India have a trio of left-arm slow bowlers, with Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia both impressing in the semi-final.

Nobody has matched Vaishnavi Sharma’s 15 wickets however, with a remarkable strike rate of 7.2 and an economy rate of under three.

Even after being put under some pressure by England, she came back with three wickets in four balls that dramatically slowed down scoring.

South Africa have the aforementioned Reyneke taking wickets at regular intervals, and will hope that Ashleigh van Wyk can carry her form from the semi-final into the final.

Wicketless in the tournament prior to the semi-final, she then proceeded to take four for 17 to wrap up the Australian innings.

Also Read: U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025: Parunika Sisodia credits her father as inspiration to play cricket

Match Officials named for the grand finale

Meanwhile, the match officials for the final of the Women’s U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 final between India and South Africa have been named by the ICC.

Australia’s Ashlee Gibbons and Nitin Bathi of the Netherlands will stand for the encounter at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Gibbons was an on-field umpire for India’s semi-final victory over England, while Bathi umpired as South Africa beat Australia in the last four.

They will be supported by Aidan Seaver of Ireland, who will be the third umpire, while David Gilbert will serve as the match referee.

South Africa v India

On-field: Ashlee Gibbons & Nitin Bathi
Third: Aidan Seaver
Fourth: Forster Mutizwa
Match Referee: David Gilbert

Disclaimer: This latest news is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.