Tilly Corteen-Coleman. (Source:Gettyimages)

The 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup is set to provide a platform for countless young players to showcase their talents to the watching cricketing fraternity. Many are competing in their first international tournament, having broken through in their respective national team setup.

Playing at a major ICC event acts like a double-edged sword for some of these youngsters. On one hand, they are thrown into various high-pressure situations for which they might not be ready.

On the other hand, the platform could bring out the best, which would be witnessed by the entire world, giving them a springboard in their careers. 

Here are the five youngest players in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026: 5. Tilly Corteen-Coleman (England) - 18y 292d Tilly Corteen-Coleman (Photo by Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Tilly Corteen-Coleman has been widely touted to be England's next superstar for several years now.

The Surrey bowler will head into the Women's T20 World Cup as the fifth-youngest player in the tournament at the age of 18 years and 292 days. 

Corteen-Coleman's first exposure to international cricket came in the months leading up to the big tournament on home soil. She has played just two ODIs and one T20I for England and will be one of her side's backup spinners at the 20-over tournament.

4. Karabo Meso (South Africa) - 18y 266d

Karabo Meso is a wicketkeeper-batter who will form part of South Africa's Women's T20 World Cup squad at the age of just 18 years and 266 days. As part of the side that comes in as one of the favourites for the tournament, Meso is one of the two wicketkeepers in the ranks, along with Sinalo Jafta.

Meso has played eight T20Is for the Proteas, where she has contributed with three catches and one stumping. The right-hander, however, has had minimal opportunities with the bat in her young international career.

3. Pippa Sproul (Scotland) - 18y 119d Pippa Sproul (Photo by Paul Harding-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Scotland enter the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup with a relatively young squad, with Priyanaz Chatterji being their oldest player at just 32 years of age.

Pippa Sproul, 18, forms part of the Scottish outfit as a backup wicketkeeper to the experienced Sarah Bryce. 

Sproul has played just one T20I in her international career. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, does have the experience of playing in the English conditions, having played for Middlesex Women in the Tier 2 system of domestic cricket. She recently scored an unbeaten 83 off 57 balls against Derbyshire Women in the T20 Blast Women League 2. 

2. Gabriella Fontenla (Scotland) - 18y 10d

Yet another Scottish player in the list, Gabriella Fontenla, has played three T20Is for her international career, having made her debut earlier this year.

The 18-year-old comes into the tournament as the youngest player on her side and on the back of a decent outing in the warm-up match.

She scored an unbeaten 20 at a strike-rate of 142.85 and registered figures of 2 for 2 from two overs against the Netherlands in Derby on June 6.

1. Lara Leemhuis (The Netherlands) - 17y 360d Lara Leemhuis (Right) (cricketinnl on IG)

Lara Leemhuis made her international debut in 2025 and has not featured for the Dutch outfit since November last year. A right-arm pace bowler, she played in the Netherlands' warm-up matches against Scotland and Sri Lanka, but failed to take any wickets. However, she enters the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup as the youngest player in the tournament.