Parunika Sisodia: Winning U19 Women’s T20 World Cup is the Happiest Moment of My Life

New Delhi: In the cricketing world, moments of pure euphoria are rare. But for Parunika Sisodia, the pure thrill and ecstasy of winning the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup for India turned out to be the happiest moment she has ever felt in her lifetime.

The Winning Moment

When Sanika Chalke hit a boundary off Monalisa Legodi at Kuala Lumpur’s Bayuemas Oval on February 2, India clinched the 2025 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup trophy and successfully defended the title they won in South Africa two years ago.

Parunika recalled the moment of victory: “Oh, I think I’ve never felt so well (when that winning shot was hit). What I felt after winning that World Cup was a dream for me because, as I’ve told you earlier, I wasn’t there in the first inaugural World Cup win.

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I just missed the cut for it. Since then, to actually go there and win that World Cup for India was giving me goosebumps. Even talking about it is literally giving me goosebumps now, and that was the happiest moment I’ve ever felt,”

Celebrations in the Indian Camp

Parunika shared how the celebrations in the Indian camp were nothing short of epic. “We had no idea what we were doing. We were so happy that we were just raising our hands, laughing, and soaking in that moment.

Everyone went crazy – someone was dancing on the ground, someone was lying on the ground. We had an interesting photo shoot, which you must have seen now on all our posts – the pookie one and then Bhavika (Ahire) did this Hardik Pandya-styled celebration. I guess there’s more of it, which will come now on social media.”

Parunika’s Journey: From Missing Out to Key Contributor

Parunika’s journey from missing out on the inaugural World Cup in 2023 to claiming ten wickets in the 2025 campaign highlights her consistent self-improvement and focus on being one of the main contributors to the team’s success in Malaysia.

“All I have ever worked on from the last two years was how to make myself useful for the team and do things in ways that would ensure the team’s victory. When the World Cup came, I saw that I was doing it. So I was very excited to come back home and see my videos and know that I had achieved a little part of it,” she said.

Key Performance in the Semi-Final

One of her defining performances in the tournament came in the semi-final against England, where India was struggling to break the opening partnership. But Parunika stepped in and took the first two wickets before adding another late in the innings to finish with figures of 3-21 and the Player-of-the-Match award.

“When the pressure was on in the semi-final, I think the atmosphere inside the Indian camp was quite calm. We just knew that there was going to be one good ball, and we’d get back in the game. That ball came with me because at that point, I had built enough trust in my team,” she said.

Left-arm Spin: The Key to Success

A key factor in India’s second consecutive U19 World Cup triumph was the left-arm spin bowling group, which functioned like a well-oiled machine. Vaishnavi Sharma topped the wicket-taking charts with 17 scalps, Aayushi Shukla took 14 wickets, and Parunika was among the four highest wicket-takers in the competition.

“We have been playing together for so long that we are like a family. When one of us got wickets, it felt like ‘it’s our wicket.’ We just knew what the other person was doing and what we needed to do next,” Parunika explained.

Motivation from VVS Laxman and Calm Leadership

VVS Laxman, head of cricket at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, joined the Indian team in the dugout before the knockout matches. Parunika said Laxman motivated the team by urging them to be calm and not overthink things. “He just told us to keep things simple, and I think that helped all of us in the finals and semis,” she added.

It was also crucial that India had a calm captain in Niki Prasad, who led India to victory in the inaugural U19 Asia Cup and retained the U19 World Cup. Parunika praised Niki’s calm demeanor: “She is one of the calmest people I have ever met. Even when things went wrong, she always gave us positive responses.”

Building a Legacy in Women’s Cricket

Parunika emphasized how India’s two trophy wins – one with the ICC and one with the ACC – are helping create a lasting legacy in women’s cricket. “We are here to dominate, and that was the goal – to be ruthless and go for it. That’s what led to our victories,” she said.

Guidance from Parunika’s Father

Before every game, Parunika sought guidance from her father, Sudhir Singh Sisodia, a cricket coach who encouraged her to switch from tennis to cricket in 2018. “My dad always told me, ‘All the best, do well, enjoy the game, and be yourself out there,’” she said.

Ambitions Beyond U19

While Parunika has enjoyed significant success with two major trophy wins, her ambitions extend beyond that. She aims to play for India’s senior women’s team and is focused on steady progress toward that goal. “Stepping into the senior team is the main goal, but for now, I have my domestic cricket coming up with the under-23 one-dayers and multi-day games. I’ll focus on that and the Emerging Asia Cup too,” she signed off.