TOP STORIES

Unbeaten India look to knock down wounded South Africa

Saturday, 20-Jun-2026, 07:06 AM
News

India and South Africa women are gearing up to face off at Old Trafford on Sunday in a Group 1 clash of the Women's T20 World Cup. India have been unbeaten so far in the tournament, claiming victories over Pakistan and Netherlands women in their first two games. 

With back-to-back wins, India are full of confidence, hoping to seal a third straight win, which would strengthen their grip on a semi-final berth. South Africa, on the other hand, are under huge pressure after suffering a defeat against Australia. Having already dropped points, the Proteas are in a must-win situation to keep their knockout hopes alive. Looking at India, their openers have been quite impressive, providing great starts. Smriti Mandhana has been in outstanding touch, registering consecutive half-centuries and keeping things under control at the top of the order. Shafali Verma has also found her rhythm after she slammed a confident fifty against the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, they have been handed a significant setback with the loss of Shreyanka Patil, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after sustaining an ankle ligament injury during the Netherlands match. In her absence, bowling responsibilities will fall on experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma and promising spinner Sree Charani. Talking about South Africa, their campaign has not found the momentum. Their heavy defeat to Australia have made things challenging for them.

Against India, South African batting lineup will rely heavily on the experience and quality of Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus. With the ball, the side has a formidable pair in Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 21

IND-W won - 11

SA-W won - 10

India Women possible XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma

South Africa Women possible XI: Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt (c), Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Kayla Reyneke, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba







More News

News

‘Arrogant and Cocky’: AB de Villiers reveals his first impression of Virat Kohli

25 mins ago

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has opened up about his first impression of Virat Kohli, revealing that he initially found the Indian star “arrogant and cocky.” However, De Villiers explained that his opinion was based on Kohli’s high level of confidence, which he believes played an important role in the batter’s success. Over the years, Kohli and De...


News

‘He is a precious talent’: Ashwin backs Yashasvi Jaiswal after ODI snub

48 mins ago

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the Indian team management’s decision to leave Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the ODI squad for the series against New Zealand. Ashwin believes the young batter should have been given an opportunity in the last two matches, especially with Shubman Gill being rested. With India preparing for next year’s ODI World ...


News

Mahela Jayawardene steps down as Mumbai Indians head coach

1 hr ago

Mahela Jayawardene has stepped down from his role as head coach of Mumbai Indians, bringing his stint of two seasons with the five-time Indian Premier League champions to an end. After assuming the role ahead of the 2025 edition, Jayawardene remained at the helm for the past two IPL seasons.

Notably, the Sri Lankan legend previously had a highly succ...


News

ENG C vs WI C: Who will win the WCL 2026 final?

1 hr ago

The stage is set for an exciting final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2026, with England Champions taking on West Indies Champions at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Both teams have delivered strong performances in the knockout stage and will now look to finish the tournament with the trophy. England Champions secured their place in the fi...


News

Jake Fraser-McGurk fires record-breaking 14-ball fifty

3 hrs ago

Young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk demonstrated his staggering batting prowess, slamming a breathtaking half-century off 14 balls as South Australia piled on the runs against Queensland at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide on Saturday. After blazing a half-century, he romped to a 49-ball century.

Fraser-McGurk was in aggressive form, attacking the Queensland bowling attack fro...