ICC Women’s World T20: 5 youngsters to watch out for

T20 has been the most entertaining and loved format of cricket of the past decade. Being the quickest of all, it engages people thoroughly over the course of three hours.

The occurrence of ICC World T20 every two years shouldn't be surprising, considering it's one of the most financially-viable options for cricketing boards. In fact, ICC recently granted T20I status to all of its 104 associate nations.

This wonderful step will assist ICC in strengthening the sport's presence in more countries and help the sport to grow simultaneously. Twenty20 is considered the game of the young generation. The agility, reflexes and fastness of the game yearn for fresh faces and new cricketers at all times.

Any organization, in order to survive for a longer period, needs to develop strategies for keeping youngsters at the crux of everything. They not only carry the legacy forward but also maintain the dignity of the sport.

There will definitely be certain young talent on display at a great stage of the women's game – the ICC Women's World T20 2018. Five of those probably are being mentioned here:

(Note: Players listed below have played minimum 20 T20Is and under 23 years of age)

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#5 Nahida Akter, Bangladesh (Mat-27, Wkt-29, Avg-16.55)

Nadia Akter celebrating after taking a wicket

This bowler fits very well in Bangladesh set up. Experienced players like Rumana Ahmed and Jahanara Alam, along with skipper Salma Khatun, have great chemistry with each other.

They complement each other really well. Somewhere, Nahida owes a huge chunk of her success to these seniors.

The 18-year-old slow left-arm bowler has been among the highest wicket-takers for Bangladesh in the last couple of seasons. Nahida was the stand out performer for Bangladesh in the very first match, where she made her debut against Pakistan. 4-0-17-2 were the figures she returned.

She was instrumental in Bangladesh's Asia Cup 2018 victory over India at Kuala Lumpur in the final of the tournament. In her quota of four overs, she just gave away 12 runs and cramped the Indian batsmen for space.

In recently released T20I rankings for women, she stands at No. 9 in the bowlers' chart.

Akter's vital contribution in the World T20 qualifiers can't be neglected as well. She took seven wickets in five matches at just 8.57 apiece. Playing good cricket consistently has rewarded her with a place in Bangladesh's squad for the marquee tournament.

#4 Gaby Lewis, Ireland (Mat-20, Runs-366, Avg-22.87)

Gaby Lewis: the youngest Cricketer to play for Ireland

Who would believe that 17-year-old Gaby debuted for Ireland at the tender age of 13?

Gaby inked her name in the history books as the second youngest cricketer (male or female) to make an appearance in international cricket. Pakistan’s Sajjida Shah still holds the record for being the youngest (at 12 years).

Lewis, the Dublin-born teenager, was introduced to this beautiful sport even before she entered into her teens. She belongs to the club of those lucky families who pass on the cricket baton generation to generation. Her father and grandfather have played in the Irish domestic circuit.

In terms of achievements, she was the second highest run-getter for Ireland in the World Twenty20 Qualifier. Her consistent performances in the last couple of years have made her a constant figure in the Irish side.

The youngster bats in the top order with a great sense of maturity. She carries a significant strike rate of 97.86 in the shortest format of the game. The 21st-century born batter has four years of international experience behind her.

With truckloads of goals to achieve in the remainder of her still-short career, she would definitely look to carve out a niche of her own in the upcoming tournament.

#3 Sune Luus, South Africa (Mat-53, I-35, Runs-452, SR- 108.39, Avg-19.65, Wkt-28, Avg-20.82)

Sune Luus can keep wickets, can bowl well and can bat at any position

Starting cricket at the age of four under her father’s guidance, whom she calls her “Mini-Cricket Coach", Luus faced a lot of challenges on her way to the top.

She is pursuing Sports Science and Education at the University of Pretoria, and yet, living her cricket dream simultaneously.

The South African all-rounder is one of the highly rated leg-spinner across the world, as well as a reliable middle-order batter. It is hard to believe that Luss is still just 22 years of age. She has already been around the Proteas national squad for last six years.

Batting at the lower order for the initial phase of her career, Luss couldn't make the best of the opportunities she had with the willow early on. However, her captain saw a spark in her batting and promoted to open against Australia. The youngster rewarded the faith bestowed on her with a fantastic fifty.

The 2017 World Cup Qualifiers stint was the testament to her hard work. She produced a couple of match-winning innings in the competition and went on to bag the Player of the Tournament award.

Later that year, she became the Women's Cricketer of the Year for South Africa. Her batting position floats as per the demand of the situation. She seems to be peaking at the right time in her career.

Luus is striking the ball at 111.06 in 2018 with an avg of 24.25 and has amassed 291 runs in 15 innings.

#2 Smriti Mandhana, India (Mat-47, I-45, Runs-868, SR- 112.28, Avg-21.17)

Smriti Mandhana have a huge role to play for India in the upcoming World Cup

Mumbai-born Mandhana’s explosiveness at the top of the order is her unique selling proposition. She made her name in the domestic circuit by becoming the first Indian woman to score an unbeaten 224 off 150 balls in a one-day game.

The 22-year-old opens for the Women in Blue across all formats of the game. The Indian vice-captain is known for her freewheeling approach to the game. She got her first cricketing lessons from her father at the age of just four and went on to represent the nation as a 17-year-old.

It was just a matter of time before the world recognized her talent. She went on to score the truckloads of run in the coming years and her swashbuckling approach landed her a contract in the Women's Big Bash League in 2017.

Mandhana’s rise to and in international cricket has been phenomenal. She has etched her name in cricket record books several times already. She holds the record for fastest half-century scored for India in WT20I and joint-fastest in women's T20.

Her WBBL stint didn’t work out well for the Indian star, but in her maiden Kia Super League season, Mandhana smacked 421 runs in nine innings – most runs by a player in a women's T20 league anywhere in the world.

2018 has been a very productive year for the elegant left-hander. Since the start of January, she has accumulated 444 runs in 18 innings at an average of 26.11 and strike rate of 132.933.

#1 Hayley Matthews, West-Indies (Mat-33, Runs-641, SR- 107.19, Avg-20.03, Wkt-34, Avg-16.79)

Hayley Matthews: A wonderful young talent

20-year-old Barbadian cricketer Hayley Matthews plays as an all-rounder for hosts and defending champions, West Indies. Equally strong in cricket and on the track, she preferred cricket over athletics, despite her Gold medal in the Javelin throw at the 2015 CARIFTA Games.

Sacrificing Athletics career wasn’t an easy thing to do at such a young age but she chose the ball and ball, making her international debut at just 16. In very first ODI series, she smacked 3 impressive back-to-back fifties.

She has been a regular figure in West-Indian setup ever since. She opens the batting and sometimes, also opens the bowling for her team.

Matthews’ most telling performance came against the three-time World T20 champions Australia in World T20 final in 2016, where she smashed 66 runs off 45-balls in the chase and also took one wicket in the first innings. She was adjudged the Player of the Match for her scintillating performance.

In 2018, Matthews has been doing great with the bat, having scored 222 runs in eight innings at an average of 27.75 and strike rate of 126.13. She stands at No.12 in the batting rankings, second in all-rounders and fourth in the bowling charts. A player of her calibre is rare to find.

Under the captaincy of Stafanie Taylor, young Matthews could possibly be replicating her heroics from World T20 2016 once again.

Special Mention

Jemimah Rodrigues is an exciting prospect for Indian cricket

Laura Wolvaardt, the 19-year-old South African opener, is a promising talent. She averages around 46 in ODIs and 22 in T20Is. Captain Dane van Niekerk would love Wolvaardt to extend her rich vein of form into the tournament. She is among the most brightest talents in the world cricket.

Apart from the included players, there are several more who have definitely shown the spark to set the tournament on fire. Jemmiah Rodrigues, the 18-year-old young Indian sensation, has marked her entry into the world cricket with a bang. She has 336 runs in 10 innings, scored at a strike rate of 137. She has been knocking on the door for a while now.

Deepti Sharma, the Jagmohan Dalmiya Award winner for the best domestic Senior Women's Cricketer in 2018, is undoubtedly one of the finest additions to the Indian squad. If these youngsters play their part well, Indian women will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming World T20.