England's Grace Scrivens was elected as the Player of the Tournament at the ICC U19 Women's World Cup.
The inaugural edition of the U19 Women’s World Cup in South Africa ended on a beautiful note as India became world champions. Defeating England in the final, Shafali Verma and co lifted the trophy and brought pride and happiness across the country.
The U19 Women’s World Cup captured the attention of a lot of people as bright, young talents from across the globe came together to showcase their skills and play fearlessly on the big stage. However, there were a few who managed to impress more than anyone else and there’s no doubt that the future is looking glorious for them.
But who were the top performers at the U19 Women’s World Cup?
Shweta Sehrawat (India)
Perhaps the biggest accolade that can be given to Shweta Sehrawat for her performance in this World Cup is the fact that she somehow managed to make her captain Shafali Verma look ordinary. The youngster finished as the highest run-scorer in the competition with 297 runs in seven games. Sehrawat had an extraordinary average of 99 which could’ve just as easily been over 100 had she not been dismissed early in the final. Moreover, she also batted with a strike rate close to 140 and brought up three half-centuries throughout the tournament.
Grace Scrivens (England)
England’s Grace Scrivens was elected as the Player of the Tournament following her outlandish showcase with both the bat and the ball. The left-hander showed elegance and poise and was second in the scoring charts behind Sehrawat with 293 runs at an average of 41.85. Like Sehrawat, she too made three half-centuries and had a strike rate close to 130. Moreover, she also picked up nine wickets in seven games at a stellar economy rate of 3.09.
Shafali Verma (India)
Of course, Shafali Verma was there to set the first edition of the U19 Women’s World Cup alight with her indomitable prowess. Finishing as the third highest run-scorer in the competition with 172 runs in seven games at an average close to 25 and leading her side to glory is no easy feat. But just one look at her strike rate of 193.25 and the realisation sinks in! She is extremely special and despite her rough patch in international cricket over the last couple of years, if she carries on batting this way, there’s no stopping her.
Maggie Clark (Australia)
Australia’s Maggie Clark was sensational with the ball and did plenty of damage. She ended the tournament as the highest wicket-taker with 12 successes in just five games. Her bowling average of 6.25 is hardly imaginable in T20s and she also finished with an extremely strong economy rate of 4.20. Clark was consistent for her side throughout the campaign but unfortunately, couldn’t steer them to the final.
Anosha Nasir (Pakistan)
Anosha Nasir was a major revelation for Pakistan and she proved to be an outlier in her side. Nasir ended the tournament with 10 wickets to her name and was the joint third-highest wicket-taker. She had a strike rate of 12.0 and Nasir also kept an economy of 5.50.