New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS): Sports streaming platform FanCode has bagged the digital Indian streaming rights for the inaugural edition of ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup The competition, starting on Saturday, will feature 41 matches between 16 teams.
All matches will be streamed on the FanCode app and on its official website, www.fancode.com. It is also offering tournament passes at affordable prices for fans in addition to monthly and yearly subscriptions.
The inaugural edition of the U19 Women's T20 World Cup will be played in South Africa across four venues in the two host cities of Benoni and Potchefstroom. The event which showcases the future stars of the sport, and also sees Rwanda and Indonesia playing in an ICC World Cup for the first time.
The 16-playing nations will compete against each other in four groups. Group A comprises Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the USA. Group B includes England, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Group C has Ireland, Indonesia, West Indies and New Zealand. Finally, Group D includes India, South Africa, UAE and Scotland.
Some of the notable names to feature in the tournament will be India's young international cricketers, Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh. Both Shafali and Richa will be bringing their rich experience from being part of the senior women's team in the U19 T20 World Cup and will be looking to help India win its maiden ICC title on January 29 in Potchefstroom.
FanCode also live-streamed India men's white-ball tour of the West Indies in 2022, as well as India women's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in June 2022. The commentary line-up for the Women's U19 T20 World Cup features former international cricketers Lydia Greenway, Stacy-Ann King, Marina Iqbal, Isobel Joyce, and Julia Price.
"This is the inaugural edition of the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup, and a massive step forward for the women's game. With all matches being broadcast live, the exposure it brings will benefit women's cricket enormously. I'm thrilled to be a part of the commentary team for this landmark event," said Lydia, the former England cricketer.
"The ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup offers a much-awaited platform for the young ones. It's the first step of many that could see raw talent turn into legends of the game. This is a brilliant opportunity for these players to learn and showcase their talent. I'm so excited to witness the potential of teams like USA, Rwanda and Indonesia, though I will definitely be backing my girls in green to bring the trophy home," added Marina, ex-Pakistan batter.
"The U19 Women's T20 World Cup is the ultimate stage for young talent to shine. I'm honoured to be part of the broadcast coverage and I'm certainly eager to witness the next generation of female cricketers entertain with some top-class cricket. If the build-up is anything to go by, I'm definitely sure we will have a lot of stimulating matches during the tournament," commented Stacy, the former West Indies player.
Former South Africa skipper Mignon du Preez, who has recently retired from international cricket, will also be part of the panel. Other voices include veteran broadcasters Charles Dagnall, Georgie Heath, Raunak Kapoor, Philasande Sixaba, Ananya Upendran and Zaahier Adams.
"With the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup making its debut, a new chapter in women's cricket begins. It's a matter of great pride that South Africa is playing host to the inaugural edition, and I'm really looking forward to watching all the action from close quarters as a part of the broadcast team," added Mignon.