India men’s head coach Rahul Dravid has praised the U19 Women’s team for winning the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup trophy in South Africa, calling the victory a landmark moment for women’s cricket in the country.
Notably, Shafali Verma & Co produced a superb bowling performance to bundle out England for a paltry 68.
Chasing the low total on a slow pitch, India lost Shafali and Shweta Sehrawat in the first four overs however, Soumya Tiwari (24 not out) and Gongadi Trisha (24) shared a 46-run stand for the third wicket to guide their side home in 14 overs and give India their first-ever World Cup title in women’s cricket.
“Today was a landmark day for the Indian women’s U19 team. I would like to pass it on to U19 Men’s captain to deliver a message for the girls,” said Dravid, who had won the 2018 Men’s U19 World Cup as head coach, in a video posted by BCCI.
He passed on the mic to his 2018 Men’s U19 World Cup-winning skipper Prithvi Shaw. “I think it is a great achievement. Congratulations, well done,” said Shaw after which the entire Indian men’s T20I team cheered aloud for the U19 women’s team in unison.
Earlier, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had announced a cash prize of Rs 5 crore for the India Women’s U19 cricket team and support staff.
“Kudos to the India U19 team for winning the #U19T20WorldCup. This is a phenomenal achievement as our young cricketers have made the country proud. That the young players weren’t overawed by the big occasion speaks volumes about their steely characters and temperament.”
“Women’s Cricket in India is on the upswing and the World Cup triumph has taken the stature of women’s cricket several notches higher. I am delighted to announce INR 5 crore for the entire team and support staff as prize money. This is surely a path-breaking year,” wrote Shah in a series of tweets just after India got their first global title in women’s cricket.