Kuala Lumpur, January 26: On the second day of the Super Six stage of the ongoing ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, four teams competed for a place in the semi-finals, with India securing their spot in the final four.
India faced Bangladesh in Kuala Lumpur, delivering a dominant performance. They restricted Bangladesh to just 64 runs and comfortably chased down the target in only 7.1 overs.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's match against Scotland was washed out due to persistent rain, forcing both teams to share the points.
As a result, three teams have now secured their place in the semi-finals: India and Australia from Group 1, and South Africa from Group 2. England and Nigeria are currently in the best position to secure the remaining qualifying spot, according to the ICC.
The weather in Kuala Lumpur delayed the highly anticipated India-Bangladesh clash, with rain threatening to cancel the second match of the day. However, play resumed, and a full match was played. India won the toss and chose to field, immediately putting Bangladesh under pressure by taking a wicket on the third ball of the match. The Indian bowlers maintained their dominance, claiming wickets and restricting runs, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 23-5 by the end of the tenth over.
Skipper Sumaiya Akter (21*) and Jannatul Maoua (14) displayed resilience for Bangladesh, putting together a 31-run partnership before Vaishnavi Sharma made a crucial impact with two wickets in the 17th over. Bangladesh ended their innings at 64-8 after 20 overs. Vaishnavi Sharma was the standout bowler, finishing with impressive figures of 3/15, while Shabnam, Joshitha V. J., and Trisha Gongadi each took a wicket.
India made light work of the chase, reaching the target in just 7.1 overs. Trisha Gongadi led the charge with a blazing 40 off 31 balls, featuring eight boundaries. Habiba Islam Pinky and Mst. Anisa Akter Soba each picked up a wicket, but it wasn't enough to prevent Bangladesh from suffering a heavy defeat.
Vaishnavi was named Player of the Match for her outstanding figures of 3/15.
With this victory, India secured their spot in the semi-finals with one game remaining against Scotland. India has won all three of their matches. Bangladesh, however, is unable to make it out of the Super 6 stage, regardless of the result in their final match against the West Indies. Bangladesh has one win and two losses, placing them fourth on the table.
The wet weather continued to affect Malaysia's capital, and the start of Sri Lanka's Super Six clash with Scotland was repeatedly delayed until time ran out. The two teams split the points, meaning neither can qualify for the semi-finals.
Scotland will play their final match of the tournament against India on Tuesday, while Sri Lanka will conclude their campaign with their last Super Six match against Australia on Wednesday. Sri Lanka is in third place with one win, one loss, and one no result, totaling three points. Scotland is in fifth place with two losses and one no result.
