India will begin their ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title defence against the West Indies in Kathmandu on January 22. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in Bangladesh and Nepal from January 21 to February 6. The third edition of the tournament will feature four groups of four teams each, with matches scheduled across venues in Chattogram, Sylhet and Kathmandu. Two-time champions India have been clubbed alongside co-hosts Nepal, West Indies and Ireland in Group A.
Co-hosts Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will play the tournament opener on January 21, while Australia, the runners-up in the previous edition, take on Nigeria in Sylhet on the same day. Nepal will open their campaign against Ireland on January 22.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said: “The ICC U19 World Cup is the stage that showcases the future of our sport and serves as the ultimate platform for young players to make the leap towards elite careers representing their countries. New Zealand will face Samoa, while South Africa will take on Pakistan in Chattogram on the same day.
