National Women’s U19 Tournament trophy unveiled in Karachi

KARACHI: The stage is set for Pakistan’s next generation of women cricketers as the trophy for the National Women’s U19 Tournament 2026-27 was unveiled in Karachi on Wednesday, just a day before the competition begins.

The five-team tournament will bring together 75 talented Under-19 players from across the country, offering them an important platform to gain competitive experience and push their claims for future national selection.

The trophy unveiling ceremony was attended by the captains of all five participating sides. Samiya Afsar will lead the Conquerors, while Fizza Fiaz will captain the Challengers. Ravail Farhan will lead the Strikers, Komal Khan will captain the Stars and Zoofishan Ayya will take charge of the Invincibles.

The tournament will run from August 20 to September 4 at Karachi’s NBP Sports Complex and HPC Oval Ground, with an innovative format designed to give young players more opportunities with both bat and ball.

The first phase will feature 30-over matches, with each team playing four games. The competition will then shift into a 20-over format for the second phase, adding variety and testing the players in shorter conditions.

Overall, every team will play eight matches in the double-league round-robin stage. The top two sides at the end of the league will qualify for the September 4 final, which will also be played as a T20 match. The venue for the final will be confirmed later.

The tournament also provides an important pathway for players hoping to break into Pakistan’s women’s cricket setup. Several participants were selected through nationwide trials conducted by the women’s national selection committee.

Players who represented Pakistan in the recent five-match U19 T20 series against South Africa will also feature, adding further quality and experience to the competition.

Beyond determining a champion, the tournament carries bigger significance for Pakistan women’s cricket. It will help selectors assess emerging talent and build a stronger pool ahead of major assignments, including the ACC Women’s U19 Asia Cup and ICC Women’s U19 World Cup.

With the trophy now unveiled, attention turns to the young players ready to compete for glory—and perhaps earn their first step towards international cricket.

National Women’s U19 Tournament Squads

Conquerors:

Samiya Afsar (captain), Nasreen Ashraf (vice-captain, wk), Abeera Riaz, Areeqa Fatima, Amna Shahnawaz, Eashal Emaan, Eeshal Saif (wk), Hadia Mina, Mah Noor, Malaika Suhani, Maryam Sajjad, Narjis Bibi, Nasreen Ashraf (vice-captain, wk), Noor-e-Sahar, Syeda Batool Fatima, Zainab Irfan

Challengers:

Fizza Fiaz (captain), Memoona Khalid (vice-captain), Aleena Aslam Shah, Esha Tir Razia, Farya Sadaqat, Huba Nadeem, Laiba Karim, Mahnoor, Mahnoor Zeb, Maryam Ahmed, Pakeeza Shabbir, Sualeha Haroon (wk), Urooj Gul, Zainab Fatima (wk), Zala Ali.

Strikers:

Ravail Farhan (captain), Ifrah Mehroz (vice-captain), Adieyah Noor, Areeba Noor (wk), Areesha Ansari (wk), Maria, Meerab Shaikh, Minahil binte Nasrullah, Raima Imran, Samia Ashraf, Shahar Bano, Toufeeq Fatima, Ume Mayesha, Zahra Ali, Zainab Khanam

Stars:

Komal Khan (captain, wk), Aqsa Habib (vice-captain), Afsheen Khan, Alishba Yaseen, Anfal Malik, Barirah Saif, Emaan Afridi (wk), Fizza Ameen, Mehak Arif, Meerab Khan, Nabiha Amir, Qamrosh Farhan, Rozina Akram, Rukhsar Arif, Sawera Ramzan.

Invincibles:

Zoofishan Ayyaz (captain), Alzoha Hammad (vice-captain), Aashal Saeed (wk), Anaya Khan, Anosha Karim, Asma Bint-e-Azad, Ayesha Imran Riaz, Laraib Nizakat, Lubaba Mahmood, Maha Abbas, Maham Nazakat, Maryam Fatima (wk), Minahil Parvaiz, Quratulain Zehra, Raahima Syed

Tournament Schedule (All matches to begin at 9.30am PKT)

First leg – 30-over matches

20 August

Invincibles v Stars at NBP Sports Complex

Challengers v Conquerors at HPC Oval Ground

21 August

Strikers v Conquerors at NBP Sports Complex

Challengers v Stars at HPC Oval Ground

23 August

Invincibles v Strikers at NBP Sports Complex

Conquerors v Stars at HPC Oval Ground

24 August

Challengers v Strikers at NBP Sports Complex

Invincibles v Conquerors at HPC Oval Ground

26 August

Stars v Strikers at NBP Sports Complex

Invincibles v Challengers at HPC Oval Ground

Second leg – 20-over matches

27 August

Invincibles v Stars at HPC Oval Ground

Challengers v Conquerors at NBP Sports Complex

29 August

Strikers v Conquerors at HPC Oval Ground

Challengers v Stars at NBP Sports Complex

30 August

Invincibles v Strikers at HPC Oval Ground

Conquerors v Stars at NBP Sports Complex

1 September

Challengers v Strikers at HPC Oval Ground

Invincibles v Conquerors at NBP Sports Complex

2 September

Stars v Strikers at HPC Oval Ground

Invincibles v Challengers at NBP Sports Complex

4 September – Final

Top two teams – Venue – TBC