India have won both U19 Women’s T20 World Cups, and the 2027 defence starts against West Indies in Kathmandu
The ICC has released the schedule for January’s tournament in Bangladesh and Nepal, and the two-time champions play West Indies, Nepal and Ireland at the same ground.
Oct 22, 2026
India have won both editions of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Shafali Verma’s side beat England by seven wickets in Potchefstroom to take the first one in 2023, and two years later in Kuala Lumpur, Niki Prasad’s team bowled South Africa out for 82 in the final and won by nine wickets.
The third edition now has its dates. The ICC released the schedule on Wednesday 21 October: 16 teams and 41 matches from 21 January to 6 February 2027, shared between Bangladesh and Nepal. India begin their defence against West Indies on 22 January.
All three group games at one ground
India are in Group A with West Indies, Ireland and co-hosts Nepal, and they play every group game at the TU International Cricket Stadium, the Tribhuvan University ground in Kirtipur on the edge of Kathmandu.
West Indies come first, on Friday 22 January in the afternoon slot, which starts at 1:30pm local time and 1:15pm IST. Nepal are next on Sunday 24 January, in the morning slot at 9:30am local (9:15am IST). India finish the group against Ireland on 26 January, Republic Day, back in the afternoon.
The hosts get a head start. Nepal play Ireland on the morning of the 22nd, so by the time India meet them two days later they will have a game behind them in front of their own crowd.
The rest of the draw
India and Pakistan are kept apart. Pakistan are in Group B with South Africa, the 2025 runners-up, plus New Zealand and Samoa. Group C has Australia, co-hosts Bangladesh, Nigeria and the UAE, and Group D has England, Sri Lanka, the USA and Scotland.
The tournament opens on Thursday 21 January with four games. Bangladesh play the UAE and Australia play Nigeria in Sylhet, while Sri Lanka meet Scotland and England meet the USA at the Upper Mulpani ground in Kathmandu.
The group stage ends on 26 January. The sides that go through are then split into two Super Six groups, and the top two from each reach the semi-finals at Chattogram’s Bir Shrestha Shahid Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium on 4 February. The final is at the same ground on Saturday 6 February, with the 7th kept as a reserve day.
Sanjog Gupta, the ICC’s chief executive, called Bangladesh and Nepal “the ideal hosts for one of the world’s biggest youth sporting events”.
Where the 2025 side went next
Some of the 2025 squad have already moved up. Prasad, the 2025 captain, made her senior India debut against Zimbabwe in Raipur this month and took a wicket with each of her first two balls in international cricket. Gongadi Trisha was the leading run-scorer in Malaysia, and in the final she took 3 for 15 and then made 44 not out in the chase.