ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025: Coach Devnarain hails CSA’s vision as South Africa qualify for first final

The remarkable form, according to coach Dinesha Devnarain, a former Protea herself, is the outcome of Cricket South Africa’s long-term strategy, which is now beginning to bear fruit.

With every ICC tournament that goes by, South Africa’s female cricket players are changing the course of history. Their U19 team is now taking after the senior team.

The U19s have followed suit, reaching the final of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 after defeating Australia by five wickets in the semi-finals. The Proteas have advanced to back-to-back ICC Women’s T20 World Cup finals, finishing runners-up in 2023 and 2024 following the most impressive run of results in their history.

They have now won all three of their group matches and their lone Super Six match, extending their winning streak in Malaysia.

“The moment is bigger than I could ever imagine,” she clarified. It’s simple to ask, “What are we doing right now?” but it’s likely because of the things that have been done over the last five to ten-year plans. As a country, I have to give thanks to Cricket South Africa for the policies that they have implemented.

Without sound leadership and sound administration, I don’t believe it could have happened. It’s been quite the rollercoaster for us as an U19 team competing in our second World Cup; the majority of these girls have never left the country. However, it’s amazing how adaptable a young team can be. What an honor, what a privilege, and what a moment. Right now, I’m the most grateful coach.

Against Australia, South Africa took the lead right away, grabbing early wickets before Ashleigh van Wyk took over in the closing moments. The goal of 106 was the highest South Africa had ever faced, but her four for 17 helped limit Australia to 105 for eight.

However, Jemma Botha attacked the chase with a quickfire 37 that made sure they were always in charge, so they were unfazed.

According to Devnarain, this South African team’s success thus far can be attributed in part to their upbeat outlook.

“An aggressive cricketer who is not afraid to throw the first punch is necessary for the brand of cricket,” she stated.

“We’ve imagined positive game play and positive game talk.” We were aware that we couldn’t afford to make a mistake if we wanted to win a World Cup. We’ve always talked about going 7-nil, and we want to do that, make it to the final, win it, and bring it home. It’s a tale we can retell for years to come.

Devnarain also attributes her players’ development and ongoing maturity to the 18 months they spent training and competing in the competition, stating: “The team I had 18 months ago is not the team you are seeing now on television.” It should go without saying that there was some teenage turmoil to start. The leadership team’s presence, the discipline the team developed, and the fact that we looked everywhere are what really stood out. We dealt with any issues that arose.

“It’s about being in the present and helping them understand how things off the field can impact what occurs on the field.” The ladies themselves and the leadership team deserve praise for supporting our goals and team dynamic; there is a great deal of trust in this place.

“We just want to keep going with our procedures and let the outcomes speak for themselves when it comes to the final.”