India will begin their U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2027 title defence against the West Indies in Kirtipur, Nepal, on January 22. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule for the third edition of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal from January 21 to February 6, with February 7 reserved as a contingency day for the final.
Sixteen teams will compete in 41 matches across four venues in Chattogram, Sylhet and Kathmandu. India will aim to win their third consecutive title after lifting the inaugural trophy in South Africa in 2023 and retaining it in Malaysia in 2025. In the previous edition, the Indian team, led by Niki Prasad, defeated South Africa in the final.
India Placed in Group A
India have been drawn in Group A alongside Ireland, the West Indies and hosts Nepal. Their campaign will begin against the West Indies at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kirtipur on January 22.
India will then face Nepal on January 24 before concluding their group-stage fixtures against Ireland on January 26. Nepal will also start their campaign on January 22, taking on Ireland at home.
Group B features South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Samoa. Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates are in Group C, while England, Sri Lanka, the United States and Scotland form Group D.
The group stage runs until January 26. Qualified teams will then advance to the Super Six stage, where they will compete for places in the semi-finals. The top two teams from each Super Six group will progress to the knockout round.
Semi-Finals and Final Scheduled in Bangladesh
The semi-finals are scheduled for February 4 at the Bir Shrestha Shahid Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram, with February 5 designated as the reserve day.
The final will take place at the same venue on February 6, while February 7 will serve as its reserve day.
ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said the competition would give emerging cricketers a platform to progress towards elite international careers and encourage more young girls to take up cricket.
He also highlighted the opportunity for Bangladesh and Nepal to showcase their enthusiasm for the sport and support its development.
With a third successive title in sight, India will enter the tournament aiming to extend their dominance in the youth women's T20 competition. Their group-stage matches will provide an early test as the defending champions begin their campaign in Nepal.
Conversation
Be kind and stay on topic. Comments are moderated; abuse, spam and personal attacks are removed. Report a problem