Sri Lanka were left with plenty of positives despite an ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup campaign that yielded just one win.
Wins – 1
Losses – 4
Finishing position – Fifth in Super Six Group 1
The draw was unkind to a Sri Lanka squad packed full of talent. Out of their five games at the tournament they faced semi-finalists Australia and India, as well as the tournament hosts South Africa and a hugely impressive Bangladesh team.
But even with such a tricky draw, Sri Lanka acquitted themselves well, playing some great cricket and maintaining a highly positive outlook even once their semi-final qualification hopes had disappeared.
After a decent win over USA, they pushed Bangladesh close in an interesting encounter, and the last-ball loss to South Africa was one of the tightest finishes of the tournament in a game that saw both teams impress.
The results may not have been there, but this young group of players could well provide plenty of future stars of the game.
Sonali Dhulap was part of the ICC’s team on the ground in South Africa, and had this to say about her experiences working with and alongside the squad:
“As soon as the Sri Lanka girls landed in South Africa they had to rush to the hotel to get their official headshots done. It had been a long day for them, but they didn’t complain and were genuinely excited about being involved.
“They were shy and reserved in the beginning but came into their own as the tournament progressed….
