South Africa Beat India by Six Wickets in Women's T20 World Cup

Main Highlights

South Africa beat India by 6 wickets in a Group 1 fixture of the Women’s T20 World Cup at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday. Marizanne Kapp starred with the ball and in the field with figures of 2-27 before scoring an unbeaten 81 off 45 balls to guide South Africa home with five balls to spare.

South Africa is now third in Group 1 with four points following the win. India remained second in the table, with four points, but had a higher net run rate.

India's innings

India, coming off two consecutive victories, chose to bat first and scored 158/7 in 20 overs. Shafali Verma sparked the early momentum with a quickfire 31 off 15 balls, while Deepti Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 29 and 24, respectively.

India made a promising start but struggled to form meaningful partnerships throughout the innings. South Africa took wickets at regular intervals, preventing India's batting order from gaining any real momentum. Harmanpreet and Deepti shared the highest stand of the innings, scoring 33 runs together.

Kapp and Shabnim Ismail each took two wickets, limiting India's scoring throughout the innings. . Meanwhile, South Africa found itself in a difficult situation early in the chase. Shree Charani dismissed captain Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen in the same over, putting the Proteas under significant pressure.

Kapp Leads South Africa's Chase

Kapp then took control with a crucial innings. Together with Tazmin Brits, the two added 97 runs for the third wicket, shifting the match decisively in South Africa's favour.

Brits contributed 40 runs before Shafali Verma ended the stand in the 17th over. By that point, South Africa was well within sight of the target. Kapp maintained her aggressive approach and scored her sixth T20 international half-century off 34 balls. She finished the match unbeaten on 81 from 45 deliveries, her highest score in the format, as South Africa scored 161/4 in 19.1 overs.

What's next?

India will face Bangladesh at Old Trafford on Thursday, looking to rebound from their first loss of the tournament. South Africa, meanwhile, will look to maintain their momentum and strengthen their position in Group 1 when they face the Netherlands in Bristol later that day.

Brief scores

India Women scored 158/7 in 20 overs.
(Shafali Verma, 31; Deepti Sharma, 29; Marizanne Kapp, 2/27; Shabnim Ismail 2/28.)

South Africa Women scored 161/4 in 19.1 overs.
(Marizanne Kapp 81, Tazmin Brits 40, Shree Charani 3:24)