New Delhi, 21 October (H.S.): The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the 2027 ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup, which will be held in Bangladesh and Nepal from January 21 to February 6. The third edition of the tournament will feature 16 teams competing in 41 matches. Two-time defending champions India will begin their campaign against the West Indies on January 22.

The matches will be played across four venues in Chattogram and Sylhet in Bangladesh, and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The venues are the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, TU International Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu and Upper Mulpani International Cricket Ground.

The 16 participating teams have been divided into four groups. Group A comprises India, Ireland, the West Indies and hosts Nepal. Group B features South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Samoa. Australia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have been placed in Group C, while Group D consists of England, Sri Lanka, the United States and Scotland.

The tournament will open on January 21 with four matches. Bangladesh will take on the United Arab Emirates in the opening fixture, while Australia will face Nigeria on the same day. The other opening-day encounters will see Sri Lanka play Scotland and England take on the United States.

Hosts Nepal will begin their campaign against Ireland on January 22. New Zealand will face Samoa, while South Africa will take on Pakistan on the same day. India will also be in action on January 22, facing the West Indies at the TU International Cricket Stadium in Kathmandu.

The group-stage matches will continue until January 26, after which the qualifying teams will advance to the Super Six stage. The teams will be divided into two groups, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the semi-finals.

The semi-finals are scheduled to be played on February 4 at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram. February 5 has been designated as the reserve day for the semi-finals.

The final will take place on February 6 at 1:30 p.m. local time, with February 7 set aside as the reserve day.

ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta said the Under-19 World Cup serves as an important platform for identifying the next generation of cricketing talent and providing young players with an opportunity to represent their countries and progress to the highest level of the sport.

He said the participation of 16 teams reflected the growing depth of talent in women’s cricket. The competition will give players from established cricketing nations, as well as emerging cricketing countries, an opportunity to gain valuable international experience.

Gupta added that selecting Bangladesh and Nepal as co-hosts demonstrated the ICC’s confidence in and commitment to the future of cricket. Their large young populations and enthusiasm for the sport made them suitable hosts for the global youth tournament.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar