KAPP CAPTIVATES AS SOUTH AFRICA SCORE AN EMPHATIC WIN OVER INDIA

ICC 10th WOMEN's WORLD CUP - Match 18 – South Africa vs India at Manchester on 21 June 2026

Result – South Africa beat India by 6 wickets
Points – South Africa 2(4), India 0(4)
Toss – India
Umpires – Eloise Sheridan, Nimali Perera, Candace la Borde (TV)
Player of the Match – Marizane Kapp
Match Centre Link - You can view the scorecard, watch highlights and engage more at Match Centre of ICC. The match can be accessed here. 

INDIA INNINGS
CLOSING THE OPENERS
The 18^th match of the 10th Womens T20 World Cup featured India and South Africa, the finalists of the last ODI World Cup. The match is considered a virtual quarterfinal with the winner qualifying along with Australia from Group A. It is the International Yoga Day and both the teams were expected to stretch their limits. It is the World Music Day and one team would need party songs while other would need soup songs at end of the match. It was also Fathers Day and the winning team would need a person to play a daddy innings. It was a personal landmark for Harmanpreet Kaur as she was playing her 200^th T20I, the first woman to do so in cricketing history. India brought in Shreyanka’s replacement Prema Rawat straightaway into the match while South Africa finally had Dane Van Niekerk play in this World Cup.

Marizane Kapp was ready with the first ball which Smriti Mandhana took strike. She flicked the ball for a couple to open the Indian account. A couple of dots, A single and a two later, Shafali Varma finished the over with a leg side boundary. Shabnim Ismail came in from the other end for more pace. Shafali Varma used her pace to bring a boundary in the 3^rd ball before Smriti drove the 5^th ball in the off side and pulled the 6^th ball on leg side for two more boundaries. Marizanne started the 3^rd over with a 3 singles before Smriti came down the wicket and nonchalantly pulled one over mid on for a boundary. Marizanne followed it up with a dot ball, brought the keeper in and also changed her guard. In the last ball, Smriti tried to scoop one over short fine leg. But she missed the ball which crashed into her stumps and Marizanne let out her scream and stare. SA surprisingly replaced Shabnim with Chloe. Shafali went inside out in the 1^st ball for a four, swept the 2^nd ball square for another four and hammered the 3^rd ball over long off for a sixer. Marizanne came for her third on the trot and Yastika found a boundary with a simple punch that had beautiful timing. Marizanne responded with four dot balls and nearly had Yastika in the last ball where her sweep braced the gloves of Sinalo Jafta. Shabnim was brought back to close the powerplay. She kept Shafali quiet for the first three balls. For the 4^th ball, she bowled a short ball and Shafali tumbled as she tried to cut it over short third. SA started with a half hearted appeal and took the DRS quite late. But DRS confirmed that Shafali indeed faintly edged it to the keeper. Yastika closed the powerplay with another shot with beautiful timing, a cover drive this time. India were 59/2 after power play. The veteran pace duo of SA had accounted for the Indian openers. But India’s scoring rate had been good and the middle order needed to take care of the middle overs.

 NEITHER LONG NOR STRONG
Nonkululeko Mlaba was given the 7^th over and it fetched 7 runs that had a Yastika square cut. Ayabonga Khaka was entrusted the 8^th over and she deceived Yastika and her plumb, leg before the wicket which was confirmed by the DRS. Skipper Harmanpreet joined Jemi and the duo saw out the Ayabonga over and the next by Shabnim. When the runs were drying up, Jemi played a brilliant inside out shot to register her first boundary in the 10^th over bowled by Nonkulueko. India were 82/3 at the half way mark. One among Jemi or Harman had to go long and the other had to go big. Nadine De Klerk came in as the 6^th bowling option for SA in the 11^th over and she induced a leading edge of Jemi in the 2^nd ball and pouched it comfortably on her follow through. Deepti Sharma was the new Indian batter on the crease. Harman began Chloe’s next over with a cut that went racing to the boundary. Marizanne tried to cut the ball away but dived over the ball. India needed more such luck. Deepti got it in the next over when Deepti played the ball straight to short third who fumbled it and allowed the batters to run three. Despite such strokes of luck, India were scoring at just above run a ball and reached their hundred at end of 13 overs. It was clear Dane wasn’t bowling and Nonkulueko was bestowed the 14^th over. A boundary each from Deepti and Harman and 12 runs in the over gave some hope for India. Shabnim came to close her quota in 15^th over and closed Indian hopes when she induced a top edge from Harman that shattered her stumps. To add it up, Shabnim served two dots to Richa and finished her spell. Ayabonga conceded just 2 in her 5 balls of the 16^th over before Deepti’s cut shot turned outside edge and ran for a lucky boundary. With the final four death overs due, India were 122/5 and all hopes rested on Richa. The Richa-Deepti finishing pair had done well in both the WC games and I hoped that we were headed for a hattrick of finishes and at least a score of 175.

BELOW PAR FINISH
Nadine De Klerk was given the 17^th over and Richa began with an edge for a boundary. After 3 singles and a dot, Deepti brought out her typical one knee sweep over short fine leg and helped India find a much needed boundary. Nonkulueko spun out the 18^th over and in her 3^rd ball made Deepti edge one and Marizanne came in to take a brilliant catch to dismiss Deepti. The 5 run over only enhanced the pressure on Indian batters. Ayabonga started well but her 5^th & last deliveries strayed on the leg side. Richa helped the first one for a boundary while the second one helped itself past Richa and Sinalo for 5 wides. The 14 run 19^th over helped India get past 150. Marizanne was brought to close the innings and she closed any hopes for 170 when she Richa edged a short ball to short third where Ayabonga held on to a good catch. Arundhati & Prema could just manage 5 more in the next 4 balls as India closed the innings at 158/7.  India began at par but finished below par. The South African bowling line up did a good job in restricting India to less than 160. The Indian bowling line up needed to do even better. The South African batting unit has been scratchy in the past two matches  

SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS

ADVANTAGE INDIA

Surprisingly Shafali Varma opened the bowling for India. While South African attack relied on their pace, India trusted in spin. Shafali, a part time spinner had been working overtime in the World Cup. She began well against Laura who edged the first ball to her pad. Tasmin Brits replaced Sune Luus as Laura’s opening partner and the duo managed just 3 of Shafali’s first over. Nandani was brought in from the other end and her second ball was slashed by Laura past covers for SA’s first boundary. Nandani came back well and just conceded one run extra in the next four balls. Arundhati replaced Shafali as India opted for pace from both ends. Arundhati conceded the first sixer when Laura swung her short ball over deep square leg. Sreecharani was the fourth bowler as she came to bowl the 4^th over with SA at 17/0. Sreecharani kept Laura & Tasmin quiet if not guessing and gave just 2 runs. Shafali came back to bowl the 5^th over and despite a boundary (hit by Laura) conceded just 6 runs in the over. Sree Charani made it India’s power play by shelling out a double wicket maiden. In the 2^nd ball, she had Laura caught and bowled when SA skipper tried to go over the bowlers head. In the 4^th ball, she beat in form Annerie with pace and spin and had her bowled. SA were 25/2 after 6 overs with Marizanne Kapp and Tasmin Brits on the crease. India had seized the advantage in the power play.

 ADVANTAGE SOUTH AFRICA

Prema Rawat is lucky to make her T20I debut midway during the World Cup. And she began her career in the 7^th over that went for 7 runs. Deepti Sharma completed India’s spin quartet by bowling the 8^th over. Tazmin who was looking jaded played a reverse sweep straightaway to add a boundary to her name. In the last ball, Tazmin miscued the reverse sweep but it was a tough chance at short third. Arundhathi came in to bowl the 9^th over and completed it without extras or boundaries. SA’s first sign of aggression came in the 10^th over bowled by Prema. Marizanne came down in the first ball and lofted her inside out for a boundary. She slog swept Prema in the 2^nd ball and an attempt by Nandani to stop it at deep square leg went in vain as the ball bruised her hand and hit the ropes. The 14 run over came as a ray of hope for the Proteas who clung to it well. At half way mark, SA were 59/2. India were 82/3 at that stage. In the next few overs, India needed wickets while SA needed the partnership to go from strength to strength.

Nandani came to bowl the 11^th over and conceded 8 runs including a boundary to Marizanne. Deepti was greeted by Tazmin with a clean strike over her head for a six. Deepti struck back the next ball with an LBW appeal ruled in her favour. DRS came to Tazmin’s rescue by detecting a faint edge. Deepti’s 12^th over yielded 12 runs and quietly Tazmin & Marizanne had added 50 runs together. Sreecharani who was the best bowler of the day by a distance came to bowl the 13^th over. She started with a dot to Marizanne. The 2^nd ball was heaved to the long on and Radha came charging in and got her hands to the ball but couldn’t hold it. By Radha’s standards, that was a drop. Marizanne celebrated the next ball when she cleanly hoisted Sreecharani over the mid off for a boundary. The 4^th ball went to the deep mid wicket and Jemi collected and threw in a flash. A miscommunication happened between the duo and Tasmin dived to save her wicket by millimeters. Marizanne exhibited her brilliance next ball when she cleanly picked one fired on her log for a clean hoist over short fine leg for another boundary. She took a single and kept strike. The 13 run 13^th over with 2 missed chances brought some momentum to the SA side. Shafali Verma operated from the other end and bowled one quick giving just 5 singles. Arundhathi came in to bowl the 15^th over and she conceded 16 runs in the over. Tazmin struck one straight over the bowler for four. Marizanne scooped one and swept one for successive boundaries. With the second boundary, she also got to her fifty. Deepti Sharma came in for the 16^th over which went for 11 runs. The highlights of the over were the 3^rd ball that Jemi saved two runs for India when it seemed that Tazmin had heaved the ball over long on for a boundary. Marizanne played the shot of the match as she stepped down the track and pulled a low full toss straight to the off side gap for a boundary. SA had raced to 122/2 and needed 37 from 24 balls. India scored exactly 122 too after 16 overs but they had lost 5 wickets and had two new batters for the death overs. In contrast, Tazmin & Marizanne were together for the past 10 overs and 3 shy of a century stand. It was India feeling the jitters now and unless they sneak a wicket or too, SA looked favourites.

HAIL MARIZANNE

Shafali, (India’s jersey number 17) came in to bowl the 17^th over and struck in the first ball She fired one on Tazmin’s leg and Tazmin’s pull went straight to Sreecharani at the deep square leg. Nadine de Klerk joined Marizanne. When Marizanne got the strike back in the 4^th ball, she struck the ball strong over the long on for a sixer. She tried to go aerial again in the next ball but the ball went straight to Radha and once again the ball hit Radha’s hands and pounced out. By Radha’s standards, it was a disaster. I started feeling skeptical and I thought the match dropped out of our hand. Sreecharani came in for the 18^th with SA still needing 10 an over. She began with a single to Kapp. Nadine stole two in the 2^nd ball and was beaten in the 3^rd ball. She lofted Sreecharani over covers for a four in the 4^th ball. Sreecharani came back in the 5^th ball as Nadine’s attempt to scoop the delivery resulted in her stumps being shattered. Chloe was the new batter and she proved instantaneous as she picked the widish last ball and cut it beautifully between points and covers for a boundary. The over card was 11/1 and I felt even that Nelson wont work out in our favour. Deepti Sharma came in to bowl the penultimate over. Marizanne & Chloe worked the first 2 balls for singles. Deepti angled in from round the wicket for the 3^rd ball and Marizanne who looked possessed slog swept it straight over deep midwicket and a flying Jemi could make no difference. Marizanne and Kapp ran two more singles in the next 2 balls with the equation coming to run a ball. Deepti bowled one on the leg side again and Marizzane came down and clobbered it over the cow corner for another sixer. SA just needed two more from the last over which was to be bowled by Nandani. Chloe stuck her bat out and forced a deliberate outside edge that raced for four.  Marizanne single handedly tilted the match in South Africa’s favour. Her 81 runs and 2 wickets conceding 28 runs seemed a perfect tribute to T20 International number 2881. India’s bowling let the side down and so did poor fielding at crucial times. Nonetheless, you can’t take anything away from Marizanne who captivated with her all round performance, capitalized on errors from the opponents and proved her superior capability. With this win, SA are closer to the semi final spot. India can gain solace by remembering its history of Winning WCs after losing out to SA. But they need to prepare better and fight better to stop the Aussie juggernaut. The semi final spots will go down the wire in the last WC match. India needs to win convincingly against Bangladesh as well.