The Asian Cricket Council, on Wednesday, announced the introduction of the Women’s Under-19 T20 Asia Cup.

The Executive Council of the ACC made the decision at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stating through a press release that, “By giving emerging female cricketers in Asia the opportunity to compete on an international platform, this tournament aims to provide crucial experience and readiness, ultimately helping Asian teams perform better on the world stage.”

The ACC’s decision to create a new tournament comes on the back of the successful launch of the women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup, which was first held last year in South Africa last year with India beating England in the final for the title.

ACC’s newest tournament is expected to be held biannually and serve as a precursor to the next edition of the Under-19 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to take place next year in January in Malaysia.

According to reports, the continental event will take place in December, but no venue has been revealed at the moment.

India has dominated the senior women’s version of the tournament ever since its inception in 2004, reaching the final in each of the nine editions and winning seven.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team finished as runners-up at the most recent edition, losing to hosts Sri Lanka in the final in July.