Head coach Nooshin Al Khadeer: Want India U-19 team to emulate Australia’s consistency in winning World Cups

Head coach Nooshin Al Khadeer: Want India U-19 team to emulate Australia’s consistency in winning World Cups

India clinched the Under-19 T20 World Cup with a commanding nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the final.

Former India off-spinner Nooshin Al Khadeer has achieved a remarkable feat, securing back-to-back U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup titles as head coach. Gongadi Trisha was the standout performer for India, taking 3-15 with the ball before smashing an unbeaten 44 from 33 balls in the chase as India romped home with nine wickets to spare.

Nooshin is elated at the “standout performance of my girls.”

“It has been a truly fabulous and collective effort, the culmination of a process that began seven to eight months ago. A lot of planning and hard work went on behind the scenes, and that has been the key to India’s dominant campaign in Kuala Lumpur,” Nooshin said in an interview with Sportstar upon her return to the city.

Reflecting on the achievement, Nooshin admitted that the feeling of winning a second consecutive World Cup had yet to sink in. “The first title, in 2023 in South Africa, was special, but this one is even more so because of the way we played — consistently dominant throughout the tournament,” said Nooshin, who has 100 ODI wickets to her name.

She credited the support staff for their significant contributions, acknowledging batting coach Apurva Desai, bowling coach Rajib Dutta, fielding coach Shrabani Debnath, trainer Shalini Mantravadi, and physio Neha Karnik. “We had a fantastic team that put its heart and soul into the preparations, including spending extensive time on field placements,” she said.

Managing player workloads was another challenge the coaching staff had to navigate. “The way the girls responded to the demands was commendable,” Nooshin said. “Over the past few months, the players have built strong connections with each other, which was evident in the bonding amongst them.”

A key aspect of India’s success was the clarity of roles assigned to each player. “Our preparations were thorough, and that is why India played such a ruthless brand of cricket to win the World Cup,” she explained. The mental toughness displayed by the young cricketers under pressure particularly stood out. “That’s why I was confident from the start that we could retain the title,” she added.

One of the biggest challenges came in the semifinal against England, a team India had less familiarity with compared to other opponents. “Winning that match [by nine wickets] was crucial. Unlike other teams, where we had some prior understanding, England was a brand-new challenge. But hats off to the girls for handling the game so well,” she said.

Nooshin also expressed her long-term ambition for India’s U-19 women’s cricket, drawing inspiration from Australia’s dominance at the highest level. The Aussies have won seven Women’s ODI World Cups and six T20 World Cups. “We want India to become like Australia… that is the target,” she said with a big smile.

A significant tactical move during the tournament was promoting G. Trisha — who was later named Player of the Tournament and Player of the Final — as an opener. She ended up making 309 runs at an average of 77.25 and a strike rate of 147.14. Nooshin revealed that the decision was made well before the World Cup, with batting coach Apurva backing Trisha’s experience. “Honestly, we were surprised by Trisha’s aggressive brand of cricket. She put in a lot of hard work and developed some very effective on-side strokes,” she said.

Beyond this victory, Nooshin emphasised the importance of nurturing young talent to sustain India’s growth in women’s cricket. “This World Cup win should provide a huge boost to women’s cricket in India. These U-19 players need to be given long-term support, more matches, and significant investment in their development,” she explained.

As for her future, Nooshin revealed that she is currently without a job but is keen to take a break after months of intense work. “I am always passionate about the game, and if an opportunity comes along, I would love to contribute in any way I can,” she signed off, visibly delighted with her team’s achievement.