IND-W vs SA-W, WT20 WC: India gifts Marizanne Kapp & South Africa win with poor catching

Pos	Teams	M	W	L	N/R	PTS	NRR
1	Australia Women	3	3	0	0	6	4.391
2	India Women	3	2	1	0	4	2.511
3	South Africa Women	3	2	1	0	4	-0.546
4	Bangladesh Women	3	2	1	0	4	-0.641
5	Pakistan Women	3	0	3	0	0	-1.857
6	Netherlands Women	3	0	3	0	0	-3.384

Chloe Tryon cuts Nadni Sharma for a four to win it for South Africa. They win by six wickets, with Marizanne Kapp emerging as the hero of the match with an unbeaten 81-run knock of 45 balls. India will rue their performance after Radha Yadav dropped Kapp twice to hand over the match to South Africa after posting just 158/7. Kapp also bagged two wickets for 27 runs.

It comes down to the last over as South Africa need just 2 runs to win. Marizanne Kapp's two sixes against Deepti Sharma put the chase to the bed. Deepti Sharma finished her spell 0/44.

Shree Charani finishes her spell with 3/26 in four overs, with 14 dot balls and four fours given away. Her spell included key wickets of Laura Wolvaardt, Annerie Dercksen, and Nadine de Klerk.

Shree Charani bags her third wicket as she cleans up Nadine de Klerk, who was trying to play a sweep but missed the line. South Africa need 22 off 13.

Radha Yadav dropped Marizanne Kapp once and she has done it again. This was another sitter and after the first dropped chance allowed Kapp to control the game, she might have just won it for South Africa now. They need 29 off 18.

Shafali Verma provides India with a huge breakthrough. As Shafali bowled a little short, Taznim Brits tried to take her on, but Shree Charani was stationed at deep backward square and she made no mistake. Brits departs for 40. The 97-run stand is broken. Is there hope for India still?

Marizanne Kapp is making India pay for the dropped catch. She is toying with India's field setting, as she reaches her 6th T20I fifty, maiden in a T20 World Cup. South Africa need 48 off 30 as Kapp hits Arundhati for 16 runs.

It has been one-way traffic since Shree Charan's twin strikes. Marizanne Kapp started slow but she is bossing the game now with 41 off 31. Taznim Brits has dropped the anchor with 33 off 30. The duo has rendered Deepti Sharma ineffective and South Africa need 64 runs more off last 36 balls.

How costly would it be? India needed a wicket to break the partnership that is now worth 52. And Marizanne Kapp gave away a chance as she tried to take on Shree Charani. But Radha Yadav failed to judge that catch she dropped it.

Taznim Brits survives. She tried to reverse sweep Deepti Sharma and the ball deflected off the glove. But as the on-field decision was given out, she took the review immediately. The replays showed that there was deflection.

Marizanne Kapp survived a scare at the boundary line as Nandni Sharma almost pulled off a one-handed catch. Instead, Prema Rawat conceded two consecutive boundaries, including a four and a six. This was the over South Africa were looking for as they scored 14 runs off the 10th over to post 59/2. They need another 101 runs off the last 60 balls but it won't be easy with Deepti Sharma set to bowl four overs in that phase.

Just one boundary since the two-wicket maiden over, and India have tightened the noose. Taznim Brits and Marizanne Kapp are grinding it out at the moment. But they are finding it difficult to score runs.

Sree Charani has rattled South Africa with a twin strike in the final over of the powerplay. She bowls full, and Annerie Dercksen misses it completely. The shatters the stumps and South Africa are two down for 25. Charani bowled a two-wicket maiden as South Africa ended the powerplay with 25/2.

What a catch by Sree Charani in her follow-through. Laura Wolvaardt falls as she tries to go aerial over the bowler's head. But she did not get the elevation and hit straight to Sree Charani, who just held on to the catch. South Africa lose their captain Laura for 20.

South Africa Women are off to a cautious start, with just 17 runs on the board after 3 overs. Laura Wolvaardt has hit the two boundaries, one six and a four.

Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits begin 159 chase for South Africa. Shafali Verma is opening the bowling for India. But it is going to be Deepti Sharma's match. India will bank on her to get the wickets.

Slower deliveries are gold on this wicket. Kapp bowls another slower one and Richa can't control her sweep. She is caught. Prema Rawat has come into the middle. And she looks like a compact batter, has the power. Looks like an athlete. And IND end with 158/7 in their 20 overs. Will be a tough one to defend for India. A loss tonight could make India's qualification to the semifinals difficult.

Khaka is hit for a four and then she bowls five wides. These could be costly runs for South Africa too, not the greatest wicket to bat on. IND move to 152/6 in 19 overs.

Despite getting a few boundaries, India are on the back foot. Mlaba gets rid of Deepti Sharma now, and we are officially into the tail. 160 from here? At the end of 18 overs, it is 138/6.

The math is simple for India. They need really get a few sixes and 6-8 runs in an over are not going to help. 170-180 needed. A productive over comes to an end, as Richa ends with a boundary. IND 133/5 in 17 overs.

5 overs remain now, and either Deepti or Harman should take off now. There is Richa is to follow, and the idea should be to get to 180 at least. And as we speak, Ismail has removed Harman. She chops one on to the stumps. Out for 24, IND 116/5.

A rare big over comes for India. Mlaba has been hit for 16 runs, and Deepti is starting to accelerate. She is playing spin a lot better than other batters were. India 113/4 in 14 overs.

Don't know if Deepti is the best player to come in right now. Maybe it has got something to do with left-right combo. But quick runs needed from India, along with some stability. IND 93/4 in 12 overs.

Now a momentum shift here. A cross seam delivery by Nadine de Klerk and Jemimah just could not keep it down. The bowler completes a good catch in her follow-through. Jemi is gone, India are in trouble. A good first over comes to an end. IND 87/4 in 11 overs.

After losing three wickets, Team India are struggling to the get boundaries. But the good part is, they have some time to settle down, and can make up for lost time in the latter over. IND 73/3 in 9 overs.

And just when she was looking set in the middle, she is out LBW. She misses a straight one from Ayabonga Khaka. She has to depart for 15 from 13. Time has come to rebuild the innngs. A good over comes to an end. IND 69/3 in 8 overs.

Yastika looks like a compact player. She isn't the one attacking the ball, but waiting for it, driving and cutting her way to boundaries. She has moved to 15. Needs to up the ante though. IND 66/2 in 7 overs.

The powerplay comes to an end here. India clearly on top, with Shafali leading their charge. At this moment they need to decide, what target would be enough for South Africa. Aim for 200. Oh, there is an appeal for a caught behind against Shafali, and she is out. Banged in short, and the ball kisses the glove. IND 54/2 in 5.4 overs.

Chloe Tryon has come into the attack, and the brief for Shafali remains the same; go for your shots. She hits back-to-back boundaries here to the spinner. Third delivery, she uses the feet and gets a big six. She is up and running. Long off fielder would have been just a spectator. IND move to 47/1 in 4 overs.

The ball is coming excellently well to the bat, and all the credit goes to the batters. Mandhana is dealing in boundaries, and Kapp has called keeper to the stumps. That means she doesn't have confidence to bowl at Mandhana now. Oh god, what have you done Mandhana. She attempts useless pick up shot, and the ball hits the stumps. She is out for 17. IND 30/1 in 3 overs.

Wait, is that phone on the field? Aybonga Khaka seems to be running to the umpire, to hand a phone to her. What is happening here? Oh, she found it on the outfield maybe. In the meantime, Shabnim Ismail has been hit for three boundaries. IND 23/0 in 2 overs.

Marizanne Kapp comes up with the first over of the innings, and Smriti just flicks it for a couple. Shafali Verma ends it with a four, as the bowler sends one down the leg side. IND 9/0 in 1 over

Both teams line up for the national anthems. What a start, as always to the match. Any PP predictions for Team India? Let's hope for 60/0 in the first 6 overs.

Smiles all around

𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐭 💙 #HarmanpreetKaur goes where no cricketer has gone before, becoming the first player in history to play 200 T20Is. 🙌

ICC Women's #T20WorldCup 2026 | #INDvSA | LIVE NOW 👉https://t.co/LwG4gG8UfK pic.twitter.com/SxOFbht9gm

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 21, 2026

Most T20I appearances

200 - Harmanpreet Kaur
184 - Suzie Bates
183 - Danni Wyatt-Hodge
177 - Ellyse Perry
169 - Smriti Mandhana

The problem with Yastika at 3 is, someone like Jemi, Harman and Richa don't get the adequate deliveries in the middle. These are your best batters, who should be facing most of the deliveries. But then, the management knows better.

South Africa have made two changes considering the conditions. 

Laura Wolvaardt(c), Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon(w), Sinalo Jafta, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

With Shreyanka Patil injured out of the T20 WC, Prema Rawat makes her T20 WC debut. Arundhati Reddy also returns in place of Kranti Gaud. 

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma, Prema Rawat

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wins the toss in her 200th T20I and opts to bat first. It is a fresh pitch and it is going to slow down a bit. That's the rationale behind the decision.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur becomes the first cricketer across genders to play 200 T20Is. The team presents her with a special jersey ahead of the game. 

South Africa will lean on Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 330 runs across that home series win over India earlier this year, including three fifties and a century. She has 520 runs against India in T20Is at an average of 40 and a strike rate above 140. Numbers like that suggest she does not need much invitation to take this attack apart. 

Marizanne Kapp is three wickets away from her 100th T20I wicket and has already taken four wickets in two matches this tournament, including 3 for 23 against Pakistan. Sune Luus adds control with both bat and ball, and her part-time spin could matter if Old Trafford offers any grip against India's left-right opening pair.

The bigger question is whether India's spin-heavy method, which worked so well against Pakistan and the Netherlands, holds up against a batting order that already knows how to attack spin under pressure.

India arrive unbeaten, and the manner of the wins says as much as the results. Deepti Sharma took five wickets against Pakistan. Smriti Mandhana followed a 68 off 44 against Pakistan with 74 off 47 against the Netherlands, and she goes into this game as the tournament's leading run scorer. 

Shree Charani picked up four wickets in the Netherlands match. Two spinners finding rhythm at the same time has made it hard for opponents to settle into any sort of scoring pattern through the middle overs. There is a dent in the squad, though. Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the tournament with injury, which puts more weight on Charani and Radha Yadav to hold the middle overs together.

Old Trafford has a reputation built on pace and bounce, but that picture has been changing in recent seasons. The surface still offers something for the fast bowlers, particularly with the new ball, but it has increasingly rewarded batters who get in and play through the line. Expect true bounce rather than excessive seam movement once the openers have settled.

There is some disagreement in early estimates for what a competitive total looks like here. One projection puts the average first innings score in the 190-200 range, in line with how Old Trafford normally plays in white-ball cricket. Another, based specifically on the limited Women's T20I matches actually played at this ground, puts the first innings average closer to 138, with the second innings average lower still at 125. Only two matches have been played at this venue in this tournament so far, and the side batting first won both. In those two matches, the average first innings total was 167.

India hold the narrowest of leads in the overall record, 11 wins to South Africa's 10 across 24 completed T20Is between the two sides, with three matches abandoned without result. That is about as even as a head-to-head gets.

Recent form tells a different story. South Africa have won nine of the last 15 meetings, India four, with the rest washed out or tied. The home series in April this year, a 4-1 result in South Africa's favour, is the most recent meeting and probably the one that matters most heading into Manchester. In the Women’s T20 World Cup, this is the first time that the two sides will face off.