ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Top 5 youngest players to participate in the tournament

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be played from October 3 to October 20 in the UAE.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 got underway on October 3, 2024. The tournament, which was originally set to be played in Bangladesh, is now being played in the UAE owing to political turmoil in Bangladesh.

A total of ten teams will compete for the trophy, with India, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, among the favorites.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will feature a host of young stars looking to make a name for themselves. Given that, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will have the world’s eyes on them to see which of the young female cricketers will be the breakout stars for the future.

On that note, let’s take a look at five youngest players taking part in the tournament.

Here are the 5 youngest players in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024:

5. Katherine Fraser (Scotland) – 19y, 177d

Katherine Fraser, the 19-year-old Scottish all-rounder has been a staple of Scotland’s team in recent times. Fraser was Scotland women’s captain at the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in January 2023.

Fraser made her Scotland senior team debut in 2019 against German women. Thus far, she has played 37 T20Is for Scotland Women and picked 41 wickets with best bowling of 4/19 and economy of 5.15. She has also scored 64 runs with the bat. Fraser will be one of the youngest players in the T20 World Cup 2024 and one to be groomed for the future.

4. Darcey Carter (Scotland) – 19y, 125d

Katherine Fraser’s Scotland teammate Darcey Carter is another talented cricketer who has swiftly created a name for herself on the women’s T20I circuit. Carter, 19, is a right-handed batter and off-break bowler.

She made her T20I debut for Scotland against Thailand on July 10, 2023, and in that short period, she has already made quite a name for herself. Thus far, Carter has appeared in 16 T20I matches and scored 335 runs with a best score of 64* and a total of two fifties to her name. With the ball, Darcey Carter has taken 15 wickets with a best of 3/11.

Her versatility as a batter and bowler makes her an interesting player to watch, as she can dominate the game. Experts have praised Carter’s ability to perform under pressure and produce on important occasions.

3. Vishmi Gunaratne (Sri Lanka) – 19y, 42d

19-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne has been impressive for her side Sri Lanka. She made her T20I debut for Sri Lanka against Scotland on January 18, 2022, and quickly gained a reputation as a dependable cricketer.

Gunaratne has played 43 T20Is thus far for Sri Lanka and has scored 720 runs at an average of 20.57 and a strike rate of 92.30. Her highest score is 73*. Gunaratne has proven herself to be a vital component of the Sri Lankan team, given her capability to play both as an anchor and an attacker.

As one of the youngest players in international cricket, Gunaratne has impressed with her composure on the field and maturity with the bat in tough situations making her a promising future for Sri Lanka.

2. Shorna Akter (Bangladesh) – 17y, 276d

Shorna Akter is a 17-year-old Bangladeshi all-rounder, who has impressed one and all with her abilities with both the bat and the ball. Akhter, a right-handed batter and leg-break bowler, made her debut for Bangladesh against Sri Lanka on February 12. Her girlish energy and skill to quickly familiarize herself with various game situations extricate her from her contemporaries.

Akhter has established remarkable batsmanship at such a young age, with leg spin also playing an important role. As of now, Akter has played 25 T20Is, scoring 248 runs and taking 13 wickets. She does have a fifer to her name as well. Akter will be one to watch out for on the slow and spin tracks in Dubai and Sharjah.

1. Shashini Gimhani (Sri Lanka) – 15y, 299d

The youngest cricketer in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is Sri Lanka’s Shashini Gimhani. Gimhani was born on December 9, 2008, and is a right-handed batter and left-arm wrist spinner, a very unique proposition in women’s cricket.

She is only five T20Is old in women’s international cricket and has picked 6 wickets with best figures of 3/6. Gimhani had made her Sri Lanka international T20I debut against Uganda women in Abu Dhabi. Gimhani will be one to watch out for solely because she is a wrist spinner, which is a difficult art to master and she bowls it left-handed. Gimhani is predicted to develop into one of the best spinners in women’s cricket given time and suitable training.

(All ages mentioned as on Starting day of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 – 3rd October 2024)

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.