England Women have named a 15-player Under-19 squad for their biggest winter programme yet, with the group set to face India in a five-match T20 series before representing England at the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Nepal and Bangladesh in January and February 2027. The same squad will feature in both assignments, while five non-travelling reserves will remain involved throughout the training camps and preparations in India.
The England Under-19s will begin their campaign <a href="https://cricket.international/rohit-sharma-vs-virat-kohli-who-has-better-record-against-west-indies/” title=”Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli: Who has better record against West Indies?”>against India on 26 November, with the series continuing until 6 December. The opening two matches will be played in Baroda before the teams move to Surat for the final three fixtures. Following the series, England will spend another week in India, using outdoor training and match conditions to sharpen their preparations for the third edition of the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Nepal and Bangladesh.
Warwickshire all-rounder Phoebe Brett is the only returning member of England’s squad from the 2025 World Cup in Malaysia. England, led by Abi Norgrove, were eliminated by eventual champions India in the second semi-final in Kuala Lumpur. The Blaze’s Maria Andrews, who was part of England’s preparations as a non-travelling reserve for that campaign, has now been included in the travelling squad.
The squad also carries the weight of England’s near-success in the inaugural Under-19 Women’s World Cup in South Africa in 2023. Grace Scrivens’ side finished runners-up after suffering a seven-wicket defeat to Shafali Verma’s India in the final at Potchefstroom on 29 January.
England have yet to name their captain for the upcoming campaign, but head coach Chris Guest believes the squad will enter the tournament better prepared than any previous England group. “This is an exciting opportunity for this group of players who will be the best-prepared squad we will have sent to the U19 Women’s World Cup,” Guest said. “The aspiration, as always, is to win the U19 World Cup.”
Guest added that England had adjusted their approach after assessing lessons from their earlier campaigns, with a greater focus on outdoor cricket close to the tournament. “The goals for the winter are dual-focused. We want to win the World Cup, and we are also developing players and helping them prepare for what their career might look like in a professional environment,” he said.
The five non-travelling reserves, Ava Clive, Ivreen Dhaliwal, Libby Fellows, Lucy Randle-Bissell and Isobel Thorndike, will attend all training camps, including England’s additional preparation period in India after the T20 series.
England U19 Squad:
Maria Andrews, Amelie Bishop, Phoebe Brett, Eliza Bristowe, Flora Davies, Holly Garton, Bryony Gillgrass, Genevieve Jeer, Amelia Oliver, Shristi Patil, Prarthana Reddy, Faith Teekasingh, Clara Thaker, Skye Thomas, Venus Weerappuli
The five-match series against India begins in Baroda on 26 November, followed by matches on 28 November, 1 December, 3 December and 6 December, with the final three games scheduled in Surat. The series will offer England valuable competitive exposure against the side that defeated them in both the 2023 final and 2025 semi-final, setting the tone for another major World Cup challenge.
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Source: femalecricket.com
