New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) Wicketkeeper-batter Bhavika Ahire and seam-bowling all-rounder Anaadi Tagde will captain India U19 A and India U19 B respectively in the upcoming T20 Tri-Series featuring Nepal U19, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday.
The tournament will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru from November 10 to 22. The tri-series is a vital part of India’s preparations for the 2027 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, which Bangladesh and Nepal will co-host early next year. India have won the 2023 and 2025 editions of the global competition and are aiming for a three-peat in 2027.
Under Bhavika’s leadership, India had won the U19 T20 and one-day series over Sri Lanka U19 in Chennai and Puducherry held earlier this year. Bhavika, a member of the Indian team that won the 2025 U19 World Cup alongside Ishwari Awarare, who’s in the B team, will have promising Mumbai batter Ira Jadhav as her vice-captain, while Shambhavi Rajput is the second wicketkeeper in the U19 A squad.
For the B side, Uma Kashvi, the youngest player signed in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) when Delhi Capitals got her services for Rs 10 lakh, has been named vice-captain.
Rachita Hatwar and Shreya S. Chawan are the two wicketkeepers in the U19 B team, which also features hard-hitting opener Deeya Yadav and batting all-rounder Samaira Raghav, who earned a WPL contract with Gujarat Giants. All players are coming off featuring in the U19 women’s T20 Challenger Trophy, held in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.
Anaadi, Ira, and Nanadhana Sridharan, who are in the A team, were the stand-by players for the triumphant 2025 campaign. The tri-series follows a double round-robin format, with each team playing the other two twice before the top two sides meet in the final.
India U19 A and India U19 B face each other in the opening match on Tuesday. India U19 B then play against Nepal U19 on November 12, and India U19 A meet Nepal on November 14.
The second round starts on November 16 with another clash between the two Indian sides. India U19 B take on Nepal again on November 18, and India U19 A play Nepal in the last league game on November 20. The final is scheduled to be played on November 22.
India U19 A squad: Bhavika Ahire (captain, wicketkeeper), Tanishka Sharma, Riya Bhati, Ira Jadhav (vice-captain), Nidhi Mahto, Ipsita Mondal, Purva Siwach, Mehek Narwase, Shambhavi Rajput (wicketkeeper), Maitri Maniar, Julie Kumari, Gauri Goyal, Nandhana Sridharan, Preeti Kapoor, and Grisha Kataria.
India U19 B squad: Anaadi Tagde (captain), Uma Kashvi (vice-captain), Ishwari Awsare, Rachita Hatwar (wicketkeeper), Deeya Yadav, Archana, Shreya S Chawan (wicketkeeper), Samaira Raghav, Kumari Palak, Achsah Parmar, Nishta Soti, Vidhi Parmar, Vandita K Rao, Akshara Tiwari, and Palak Singh.
–IANS
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