Correspondent, 21 October: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced the schedule for the 2027 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup. The global tournament will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal, featuring 41 matches played among 16 teams from January 21 to February 6, 2027.
The 16 participating teams have been divided into four groups of four. Two-time defending champions India are placed in Group A, alongside the West Indies, Ireland, and co-hosts Nepal. All matches will take place across four venues located in Chittagong, Sylhet, and Kathmandu. With the Asian ground conditions being similar to those in India, the Indian team is likely to gain a distinct advantage.
Group B consists of Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and Samoa. Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) form Group C. Meanwhile, Group D features England, Sri Lanka, the United States of America (USA), and Scotland.
The tournament will open on January 21 with four fixtures. In the morning, Bangladesh will take on the UAE, while the previous edition's runners-up, Australia, will face Nigeria in the afternoon. On the same day at the Upper Mulpani International Cricket Ground in Kathmandu, Sri Lanka will clash with Scotland, and England will meet the USA.
The defending champions, India, will begin their title campaign against the West Indies on January 22 at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu. Other matches scheduled for that day include hosts Nepal playing against Ireland, New Zealand taking on Samoa in Chittagong, and South Africa facing Pakistan. The group stage matches will run until January 26.
Following the group stage, the qualifying sides will advance to the Super Six stage, where the teams will be divided into two groups of six. The top two teams from each group will then qualify for the semi-finals. The semi-final matches will be held on February 4 at the Bir Shrestha Shahid Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium, with February 5 designated as a reserve day.
The final of the tournament is scheduled to be played on February 6. The match will begin at 1:30 PM local time, which is 1:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). February 7 has been kept as a reserve day for the final showdown.
Speaking about the tournament, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta stated in a release that the U19 T20 World Cup plays a significant role in the development of women's cricket. He noted that it provides young players with the opportunity to compete at the highest level and gain global experience. The convergence of 16 teams in Bangladesh and Nepal will highlight the growing depth of talent in women's cricket, offering a massive opportunity to players from both established and emerging nations.
