ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025: Group B

Group B of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 will see England, Ireland, Pakistan and USA face off across three matchdays at the Johor Cricket Academy Oval.

England

Runners-up in 2023, England are bidding to go one better in Malaysia.

Their squad includes 17-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who has shot to prominence in recent months.

She took four wickets in four balls for South East Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and earned a Hundred deal with Southern Brave in 2024, becoming the tournament’s youngest ever player and removing Meg Lanning on debut at the age of 16.

Davina Perrin, who featured in the competition two years ago, remains part of the squad having impressed at the top of the order for her domestic side Central Sparks in the English summer.

Performance Lead Chris Guest is looking forward to seeing what his players can produce and said: “This World Cup is a part of these players’ journey, not the end or the start.

“It was really exciting to see Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Hannah Baker, Seren Smale and Charis Pavely feature for the senior team in Ireland after representing the U19s in the first edition of this World Cup in 2023.

“This acts as real inspiration for this group and demonstrates how important this tournament can be for a player’s development.”

Ireland

Ireland made it through to the Super 6 stage in 2023, losing to England and Pakistan – both of whom they will face in Group B this time around.

More than half their squad from that occasion remain part of this one, including Niamh MacNulty, who has recently been promoted to captain the side following Amy Hunter’s withdrawal through a foot injury.

It continues Hunter’s unlucky run on this stage, as she missed all but one of Ireland’s matches in 2023 through injury.

MacNulty, 18, steps up to the leadership role having enjoyed an impressive Evoke Super 20 Trophy competition in 2024, taking seven wickets at 14.71. She was also captain of the Merrion side who won the Women’s All-Ireland T20 Cup the previous year.

Aimee Maguire and Freya Sargent, who both played all three matches for the senior Ireland side in their 3-0 T20I series win in Bangladesh last month, are also part of the squad.

Pakistan

Like Ireland, Pakistan were eliminated at the Super 6 stage in 2023, with a heavy defeat against New Zealand – adding to an earlier Group B loss against England – proving costly.

Eyman Fatima and Anosha Nasir finished inside the top five performers for runs scored and wickets taken respectively but neither are eligible to feature here having moved out of the age group.

It will therefore be up to the current crop to try and go at least one stage further and make the last four, with wicketkeeper Komal Khan captaining the side in Malaysia.

Komal is set to combine her glovework with opening the batting, a role she occupied in December’s U19 Women’s T20 Asia Cup. She top scored in the group stage defeats against India and Nepal which consigned Pakistan to an early exit.

Zoofishan Ayyaz, who captained the team during that tournament, is vice-captain on this occasion.

USA

USA return for their second appearance at the competition having again been the only nation in the Americas to fulfil the required qualification criteria.

They finished bottom of Group A in 2023, losing against Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but will have hopes of improving on that in Malaysia.

In July 2024, USA toured the West Indies for a five-match U19 WT20I series and drew 2-2, with Aditi Chudasama taking four for 12 in their opening victory before Disha Dhingra’s unbeaten 46 steered them home in the series finale to ensure a share of the spoils.

Both Chudasama and Dhingra are in the 15-strong squad who will be in action in Malaysia, with Anika Kolan – who led the team in the Caribbean – again in place as captain.

The USA squad also boasts plenty of senior international experience in the form of Isani Vaghela, Chetna Reddy Pagydyala, Ritu Singh, Suhani Thadani and Saanvi Immadi.

California-born Vaghela made her T20I debut aged just 15 in October 2021 and has since featured for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.