Ngawang Choden Makes History with Bhutan's First Women's International Century as Bhutan Secure Maiden U19 T20I Victory
There are victories that add two points to the table.
Then there are victories that redefine what a nation believes is possible.
On Sunday afternoon at the Bayuemas Cricket Oval in Kuala Lumpur, the Bhutan Women’s U19 National Team produced one of the greatest moments in the country’s cricketing history. In a contest that remained alive until the very final delivery, Bhutan defeated Oman Women U19 by one run to register the nation’s first official Women’s U19 T20 International victory at the ACC Women’s U19 Premier Cup 2026.
Yet, long after the scoreboard is forgotten, one number will continue to echo through Bhutan Cricket.
101 not out.
Captain Ngawang Choden became the first Bhutanese woman to score an international century, producing an innings that will forever stand as one of the defining performances in the history of the sport in Bhutan.
At just 18 years of age, the Sarpang native has already spent the last three years representing Bhutan at the senior international level. Now, in her final appearance at an Under-19 tournament, she delivered the innings that women’s cricket in Bhutan had been waiting for.
After Bhutan were sent in to bat, the innings began steadily. The opening partnership carried the side to 29 without loss after five overs, laying the platform for what would become a historic afternoon. Alongside Sherab Dema, Ngawang settled into her rhythm, rotating the strike with composure while punishing every scoring opportunity.
Her first fifty came patiently, reaching the milestone in the 13th over after more than forty deliveries. It was the innings of a captain building a foundation rather than chasing personal milestones.
Then everything changed.
With the platform established, Ngawang shifted gears spectacularly. The next fifty arrived in just 27 deliveries as boundaries flowed all around the Bayuemas Cricket Oval. Every drive through the covers, every pull into the gaps and every confident stroke carried Bhutan closer to a total that was beginning to look beyond Oman’s reach.
As the nervous nineties arrived, so did the tension.
The dressing room knew history was within touching distance. Every run drew louder applause. Every delivery carried the weight of expectation. The pressure was visible, but so too was the belief.
Then came the moment.
A no-ball offered Bhutan an extra delivery, and Ngawang calmly collected a single to move to 100. The scoreboard confirmed what nobody in Bhutan women’s cricket had witnessed before.
A century.
She removed her helmet.
She raised her bat.
She looked towards the Bhutan dressing room, where teammates and support staff rose to their feet in a standing ovation. At the non-striker’s end, Gyden Dema shared the moment with her captain, while applause echoed around the ground.
It was not simply a personal milestone.
It was history.
Ngawang remained unbeaten on 101 from just 68 deliveries, an innings decorated with 13 boundaries and one six, finishing with a strike rate of 148.53. Gyden Dema provided valuable support with an unbeaten 18, guiding Bhutan to 147 for 1 from their 20 overs.
The job, however, was only half complete.
Oman refused to let history come easily.
Their chase gathered momentum through the middle overs, ensuring the contest would be decided in the final six deliveries. With 15 runs required from the last over, the responsibility fell to Tenzin Wangmo Pradhan, who was handed perhaps the biggest over of her young career.
She responded with remarkable composure.
Singles from the opening three deliveries kept Oman alive before two boundaries suddenly brought the equation down to five needed from the final ball.
Silence.
One delivery.
One nation holding its breath.
The final ball was struck into the outfield and the batters pushed hard, but they could only complete three runs. Four would have tied the match. Five would have stolen victory.
Bhutan had held on.
Players sprinted onto the field in celebration as the realization slowly sank in. The scoreboard read Oman Women U19 146 for 6.
Bhutan had won by the narrowest of margins.
The celebrations reflected more than just a thrilling finish. They represented years of investment in women’s cricket, countless hours of training, and the emergence of a new generation determined to leave its mark on the international stage.
For Ngawang Choden, it was the perfect captain’s performance.
An unbeaten century.
Leadership under pressure.
A record that had never before belonged to a Bhutanese woman.
Named Player of the Match, she walked away with more than an award. She walked away having written her name into the history of Bhutan Cricket.
Under the guidance of head coach Kencho Norbu, this young Bhutan side demonstrated not only its talent but its belief. The victory serves as another significant milestone in the continued growth of women’s cricket in the country and offers a glimpse of an exciting future for the next generation.
After the match, Ngawang dedicated her achievement to aspiring young cricketers across the country.
“This is for every girl who dreams of playing cricket for Bhutan.”
There will be more victories.
There will be more centuries.
Records, by their nature, are made to be broken.
But there is only one first.
On 12 July 2026, in Kuala Lumpur, Ngawang Choden did more than score a hundred.
She expanded the horizon of what every young girl with a cricket bat in Bhutan can now believe is possible.