India Women suffered their first setback of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. An outstanding all-round masterclass from Marizanne Kapp broke India’s unbeaten run in Group 1 and handed them a disappointing six-wicket defeat at Old Trafford.
India Women struggle to put a good score
Opting to bat first, India Women intended to leverage a batting-heavy lineup but struggled to sustain early momentum due to frequent loss of wickets. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma provided a blistering launchpad, firing India to 59 runs within the powerplay. However, South Africa’s disciplined bowling attack kept striking back whenever partnerships threatened to break loose. Mandhana was castled by Kapp for 17, while Shafali’s dangerous cameo (31 off 15 balls) was abruptly halted by a sharp, rising delivery from veteran speedster Shabnim Ismail.
When Ayabonga Khaka trapped Yastika Bhatia leg-before shortly after, India’s top order was completely undone. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur joined forces with Deepti Sharma to stabilize a stuttering innings. The duo put together a gritty 33-run partnership, with Sharma chipping in a vital 29 and Kaur contributing 24. A late surge from the lower order pushed the final tally to 158 for 7. Veterans Kapp and Ismail spearheaded the Proteas’ bowling effort, claiming two scalps apiece.
Despite early setbacks, South Africa Women bounce back
South Africa’s reply began with initial hiccups. Laura Wolvaardt, the captain, was dismissed early for 20, followed by Annerie Deckerson for a duck. The Proteas were soon 25/2 inside the powerplay. Shree Charani bowled a superb opening spell to pick up two wickets in the same over and finish with exceptional figures of 3-24.
Tazmin Brits, meanwhile, scored a calculated 36-ball 40, keeping the asking rate within manageable territory. Then, the real turning point came from the blade of Kapp. Unleashing a ruthless display of boundary-hitting, Kapp completely shifted the equilibrium in the middle overs. She combined brute force with flawless placement, striking seven boundaries and four massive sixes. Kapp and Brits added 97 runs for the third wicket in 10.3 overs. This included a phase where Kapp’s aggressive hitting yielded 55 runs in 5 overs. She was also dropped by Radha Yadav, which did not help India’s cause.
Also read: Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first cricketer to play 200 T20Is
Marizanne Kapp’s unbeaten knock wins it for the Proteas
Despite a couple of late wickets, Kapp stood completely immovable. Her spectacular, unbeaten 81 off just 45 deliveries, safely guided the Proteas across the threshold to finish at 161 for 4 in the final over.
Despite the loss, India maintain their second-place ranking in Group 1 due to an elite net run rate. South Africa’s triumph moves them up to third, breathing life back into their semi-final pursuit. India will need to regroup quickly to fix their middle-over scoring momentum before heading into their remaining must-win group matches.
Brief Scores: India 158/7 (Shafali Verma 31, Deepti Sharma 29; Marizanne Kapp 2-27, Shabnim Ismail 2-28) lost to South Africa 161/4 (Marizanne Kapp 81*, Tazmin Brits 40; Shree Charani 3-24, Shafali Verma 1-22) by 6 wickets
Player of the Match: Marizanne Kapp
For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on X and YouTube
