The Indian women’s cricket team should be a happy lot, as they have gotten off to a rollicking start in the T20 World Cup 2026. Having won both their encounter — against Pakistan and then the Netherlands, they sit pretty on top of the points table. But come Sunday, they will face their nemesis South Africa, who in the last few years, have found ways to get the better of us.
In the recent 5-match series too, they beat us 1-4, which was nothing short of an embarrassment. So, to arrest this slide of form, India need to come up with a perfect playing XI. So, for this very reasons, Insidesport looks at the predicted IND W playing XI vs SA W in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Get rid of Yastika Bhatia
Look, Yastika Bhatia might have done well in a few matches in the lead up to the tournament, but then her best utilisation is as an opener. If she is not opening, she is eating up a few deliveries — that Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh should be facing. Instead, hard-hitting batter like Bharti Fulmali looks like the saner choice. Yastika’s SR is only 98 in T20Is, whereas Fulmali has the capability of striking at 150.
Kranti Gaud not in best wicket-taking form
Again, Kranti is a damn good bowler, but somehow, she isn’t picking as many wickets, as she should be. This year, she has 6 in 9 matches, where her SR is 28. That means, she is going wicketless every other match. That cannot be the way forward, in World Cup, especially you’re yet to face teams like Australia and South Africa.
If Renuka Singh Thakur is fit, she should be brought in; if not, India should go with Arundhati Reddy. The latter has been team’s best pacer in the T20Is this year. She has picked 11 in 11 in 2026.
Include Prema Rawat
Shreyanka Patil is out, and then India has sprung a surprise getting in Prema Rawat — the uncapped leg spinner. If they have been brave enough to rope her in the squad, then they should go ahead a step further and get her in the XI. Not much is known about her, but as per some stats, in 41 T20s, she has picked 48 wickets and her economy has been only 5.35.
Radha Yadav brings with a her tons of experience and has 103 wickets to her name, but why have another left arm spinner, when Shree Charani has been doing excellently well for the team. Mind you, a win against SA, in a way, will seal the semis berth of Harmanpreet Kaur’s team. So, do whatever in your powers to mean, even if you have to go through the unconventional route.
Predicted IND W playing XI vs SA W
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma.
