The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the full India U19 women’s team for the upcoming ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 tournament. Two names are from the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 title-winning squad. 

The ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 will be the first edition of the tournament. Malaysia, which will also host the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 next January to early February, is ready to host the ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024. The continental tournament will run between December 15 and 22, 2024. 

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Six teams will participate in the ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024

The four ICC Full Members from Asia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, will participate in the ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 along with the hosts Malaysia and the U-19 Women's Asia Qualifier 2024 champions Nepal will participate in the inaugural edition of the continental tournament. 

The ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 was the first edition of the tournament, which India Women’s U19 team won after beating England Women’s U19 team in the final in South Africa. G Trisha and Shabnam Shakil were in the squad of that Indian team, and they will participate in the upcoming ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024. Niki Prasad will lead the Indian team in the upcoming ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024, while Sanika Chalke will be deputy to Prasad. 

ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024 formats

India will face Pakistan and Nepal in Group B of the ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the hosts Malaysia will compete from Group A. The group stage will be a single round-robin format, after which the top two teams will advance to the Super Four round, where the points and net run-rate will be carried forward from the group stage. At the end of the Super Four stage, the top two teams will advance to the tournament Final, which will be played on December 22. 

Full Indian squad for the ACC U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024

Niki Prasad (Captain), Sanika Chalke (Vice-captain), G Trisha, Kamalini G (wk), Bhavika Ahire (wk), Ishawari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, Joshitha VJ, Sonam Yadav, Parunika Sisodiya, Kesari Drithi, Aayushi Shukla, Anandita Kishor, MD Shabnam, Nandhana S

Stand-by: Hurley Gala, Happy Kumari, G Kavya Sree, Gayatri Survase

Non-travelling Reserve: Prapti Raval

Pakistan U19 opener Shahzaib Khan created a new history in the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 match against India U19 by scoring 150+ runs. He became the first cricketer in tournament history to score 150+ runs. 

Pakistan U19 captain Saad Baig chose to bat first in their Group A match against India U19 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. With the help of Shahzaib Khan’s 159 runs, Pakistan U19 scored 281/7 in 50 overs.

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Usman Khan recorded the highest score by a Pakistan cricketer in the Youth ODI 

Pakistan U19 openers Usman Khan and Shahzaib Khan set a 160-run opening partnership. While Usman was out after scoring 60 off 94 balls with the help of six fours, Shahzaib continued his impressive batting. The left-handed opening batter Shahzaib scored 159 off 147 balls before he was dismissed in the 50th over. He hit five fours and 10 sixes to produce the record-breaking knock. Among the Indian bowlers, Samarth Nagaraj (3/45) and Ayush Mhatre (2/30) took more than one wicket. 

On the same day, UAE cricketer Aryan Saxena scored 150 off 120 balls for his team, and UAE scored 325/7 in 50 overs against Japan U19 in the Group A contest. It is the record total in the tournament history.

Here are some key stats of Shahzaib Khan’s 159 runs

• First to score 150+ runs in the Asia Cup U19 tournament history. The previous highest score in this tournament history was 134 runs by Sami Aslam from Pakistan U19 against India U19 at Kuala Lumpur in 2012.

• It is the highest score by a Pakistan batter in the Youth ODI history. The previous record was 150 by Shamyl Hussain against Sri Lanka U19 in the 2023 Karachi U19 ODI. 

• It was the 14th-highest score in the Youth or U19 ODI history.

• Sixth highest individual score by an Asian batter in the Youth ODI history.

Asian batters with the highest individual scores in the Youth ODI history