On Sunday afternoon, India face South Africa in their third match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The contest is a rematch of last year’s 50-over World Cup final, but it will be the first time the two sides meet in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
India have opened with back-to-back wins over Pakistan and Netherlands and should be high on confidence. In-form spinners Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma have complemented an aggressive batting unit led by Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Richa Ghosh, each of whom has already made key contributions. Shreyanka Patil’s injury is a setback, but India have enough depth to maintain their intensity. A win over South Africa would all but seal their place in the knockouts, while a defeat could leave them under pressure ahead of their meetings with Bangladesh and Australia.
South Africa began with a heavy defeat to Australia and, despite beating Pakistan in their second match, looked vulnerable for long stretches as Pakistan threatened an upset. Their first win of the tournament came with some difficulty, and the side still appears short of rhythm. However, victory over India could quickly change their campaign, especially with two relatively easier fixtures to follow. To pull off that result, they will rely heavily on captain Laura Wolvaardt, who has an excellent record against India, along with senior bowlers Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail.
Recent Form (Latest first):
India: W, W, L, L, W,
South Africa: W, L, W, L, W
Conditions:
This will be the third match of the tournament at Old Trafford in Manchester. The batting-first team won both previous games, and the captains may look to do the same, with little chance of rain.
Players to watch out for:
Richa Ghosh: Ghosh is India’s designated finisher and, in her current form, can be classified as one of the best in the world. The team management needs to identify the most optimized entry point of Ghosh in the batting order to maximize her impact. Along with the bat in her hand, her role behind the wicket is also critical to provide the best support for India’s spinners.
Kayla Reyneke: 20-year-old Kyla Reyneke plays the same role for South Africa and maintains a strike rate of 150.46 after playing 11 matches for her nation. Indian bowlers will obviously target the big guns like Wolvaardt and Kapp, but they cannot take Reyneke lightly, as she can change the momentum of the game in just a few overs.
Injury updates:
India have called up the young leg spinner Prema Rawat as a replacement for Shreyanka Patil, who is out of the tournament due to an ankle injury. However, it is very unlikely that Rawat will make her debut tomorrow as India may show more trust in the experience of Radha Yadav. For South Africa, Annerie Dercksen had a slight hamstring injury against Pakistan but will be fit to start against India.
Predicted XIs:
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Nandani Shama
Netherlands (probable): Laura Wolvaardt (C), Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Kayla Reyneke, Sinalo Jafta, Shabnim Ismail, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Ayabonga Khaka
