South Africa Under-19 women's head coach Dinesha Devnarain has openly declared winning the ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup as the Proteas' primary goal ahead of the tournament, due to be held across Bangladesh and Nepal from 21 January to 6 February 2026. Devnarain, a former Proteas player who has steered the side through the last two editions of the tournament, said South Africa has no reason to downplay its ambitions after reaching the final of the 2025 edition in Malaysia.

Devnarain's Bold Ambition

'Our ambition is to win the World Cup. I don't think we need to shy away from saying that,' Devnarain said in a statement issued by Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday. She added that the team's responsibility extended beyond the tournament itself. 'While our immediate ambition is to lift that trophy, our responsibility goes beyond January 2027. We want to develop future match-winning Proteas and leave South African women's cricket stronger than we found it,' she said.

South Africa, who hosted the inaugural edition in 2023 and finished runners-up in Malaysia in 2025, have been placed in Group B alongside New Zealand, Samoa, and Pakistan for the third edition of the tournament.

Lessons From the 2025 Final

Devnarain was careful to frame the 2025 final run as a source of inspiration rather than pressure. 'What 2025 showed us is that South African women's cricket belongs on the biggest stage. We have been there, we know it is possible, and that should inspire us,' she said. 'The motivation is not simply to get back to a final. It is to take the lessons from that experience, continue raising our standards and give this group every opportunity to go one step further,' she added.

Group B Challenge and Pakistan Familiarity

The coach described Group B as exciting but challenging, with each opponent posing a different test. 'We have recently played Pakistan, so there is some familiarity there, while New Zealand and Samoa bring their own challenges. We faced both at the previous World Cup, but this is a new tournament with new players, and we certainly won't be taking anyone lightly,' Devnarain said.

South Africa's U-19 women's side beat Pakistan 3-2 in a Youth T20I series in Karachi in July, an experience Devnarain valued greatly for the subcontinent conditions it offered. 'Playing in subcontinent conditions gave us valuable experience, but more importantly, it tested our decision-making, adaptability and ability to respond when things weren't going our way,' she noted. She drew a clear conclusion from the series: 'Talent alone is not enough at the international level. You need game awareness, clarity and the ability to repeat your skills under pressure.'

Progress and Areas for Improvement

With the tournament less than three months away, Devnarain said the squad had made meaningful strides through national camps, including the most recent one held in KwaZulu-Natal in September. 'Our batting has shown encouraging progress, our bowling continues to be a strength, and we are becoming more intentional about how we train and measure our performance,' she said. However, she acknowledged gaps remain: 'We still need greater consistency, particularly in our powerplay batting, bowling discipline and fielding. We are certainly moving in the right direction, but we are not where we want to be just yet.'

South Africa's Tournament Schedule

South Africa open their campaign against Pakistan in Chattogram on 22 January, before facing Samoa on 24 January and New Zealand on 26 January at the same venue. The Super Six stage runs from 27 January to 2 February, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for 4 February and 6 February respectively, in Chattogram. If Devnarain's squad can convert preparation into performance, a first-ever ICC title for South African women's youth cricket is squarely in their sights.