Shafali Verma has hailed the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup as the perfect breeding ground for the next generation of stars.

The superstar batter Verma captained India to victory in the inaugural staging of the tournament in South Africa in January 2023.

Verma led from the front, scoring 172 runs across the competition and guiding her team to a seven-wicket win over England in the final.

“Representing India in itself is a great honour,” said Verma. “Being chosen to captain the Indian cricket team was icing on the cake, honestly. I was fortunate to have some of the finest talent in the age-group cricket from back home at my disposal.

“While it was simply brilliant to lead that talented lot, it was more about playing together as a unit, sharing a solid camaraderie and making sure everyone is in great spirits as we looked to enjoy ourselves in the middle.

“Obviously, winning the tournament – the first of its kind in women’s age-group cricket – as a captain will remain one of the best moments of my cricketing career; something that I will remember forever. It is safe to say that I was pretty emotional as we were about to lift that trophy and started to celebrate a special triumph.”

India and 15 other nations are preparing for the second ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in Malaysia from 18 January to 2 February 2025.

The first-ever edition of the tournament provided a platform for a number of top Indian prospects to announce themselves on the global game. Foremost among them were leg-spinner Parshavi Chopra, who took 11 wickets, and batter Shweta Sehrawat, who scored more runs than anyone else with 297.

Verma believes the competition is an ideal stage on which young players can showcase their talent and test themselves against the best.

“It is a massive help to play in a tournament like this,” said the 20-year-old. “It is a big opportunity to showcase your talent on the world stage. It has all the potential to fast track some of the young and promising cricketers to represent their respective countries with the senior teams.

“It also remains one of the vital learning grounds for the players where they get to play against the talented cricketers from across the globe. The players get to sharpen their skills and make a name for themselves and bring laurels to the country. It is a big boost to be a part of such tournaments.”

A third edition is already scheduled for Bangladesh and Nepal in 2027, with Verma seeing it as a vital addition to the ICC major events calendar.

“It is extremely crucial to have a U19 Women’s tournament in a structure that only had senior women’s tournaments before this,” she said.

“It is a win-win for the age-group teams as well as the senior sides where you have a larger pool of players available for selection.

“There is healthy competition and that always is a welcome sign. The U19 Women’s tournament structure is a need of the hour as it also acts as a crucial segway to move into the senior sides. So, it is not only massive for the age-group cricket but also for the overall growth of the game.”

Nepal, Nigeria, Samoa, Scotland and United States have qualified through the regional route, giving new nations a chance to shine, and Verma hopes the next generation seize the opportunity presented to them over the coming weeks.

“My best wishes are with them,” she said. “Having played the tournament in its first-ever edition, I can vouch for the fact that it will be a fantastic experience for the players who are going to take part in the second edition of this tournament.

“The message for me for everyone who is going to be a part in this year’s tournament is very simple: enjoy this experience and make the most of it. This could just be a start for something bigger but live in the moment and enjoy the process.”