NEW DELHI: Following their successful return from the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, the Indian women’s Under-19 cricket team was greeted with great fanfare in Hyderabad.
The Indian team, which had won the tournament without losing a match, was greeted by large crowds on Tuesday after defeating South Africa by 9 wickets in the final to win the trophy for the second time in a row.
As they talked about their experiences with ANI, team members Drithi Kesari and Gongadi Trisha were beaming with pride.
With a beaming smile on her face, Drithi Kesari told ANI, “I am feeling very happy that our nation is on top, that our nation won twice. Virat Kohli has inspired me since I started playing cricket. My family has been my backbone. All the credit goes to my parents.”
Gongadi Trisha was one of the pillars that supported India throughout the campaign. With her belligerent 44(33)*, she delivered a Player of the Match performance in the final which took India past the finish line.
She scored runs during the competition and finished with 309 runs. She did more than just contribute to the batting spectrum. She contributed seven wickets with the ball and won Player of the Tournament.
“It’s a special moment for me- winning the World Cup, that too twice and being the Player of the Tournament. I started playing cricket because of my dad. I wouldn’t be here without my parents. I would like to dedicate the (title) and (scoring) 100 runs to them. Indian cricketer Mithali Raj is my idol,” she told ANI.
Strength And Conditioning Coach at BCCI, Mantravadi Shalini added, “It’s not surprising. We always expected Trisha to do well. I know her from a young age. This time it was special because she was the highest run-getter. We are very proud of her.”
