‘Fielders didn’t support’: South Africa defeat leaves Harmanpreet Kaur suing dropped catches

Harmanpreet Kaur looks on during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match between India and South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said dropped catches proved costly in her team’s six-wicket loss to South Africa in the Women’s T20 World Cup Group A match on Sunday.India had chances to put South Africa under pressure but could not sustain them. Radha Yadav dropped two catches at long-on to give Marizanne Kapp a lifeline. Kapp made the most of these opportunities, remaining unbeaten on 81 off 45 balls with seven fours and four sixes to guide South Africa to victory.“We got a few chances in between but we couldn’t take them,” Harmanpreet, who became the first cricketer in men’s and women’s cricket combined to play 200 T20 internationals, told a television station after the match, as quoted by news agency PTI.India still have two group stage matches left, against Bangladesh and Australia, and Harmanpreet said the team must remain positive despite the setback.“We have two matches and this is the time to stay positive. Shree Charani and Shafali (Verma) played well but the fielders didn’t back them up. We have to take the opportunity at this level. We were unlucky.”The Indian skipper said the team will review its plans ahead of the remaining matches. India are second in Group A behind Australia, who have won all three matches. The top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.“We have two games and now is the time to think about it. We will sit and reassess what to do and then see the changes that need to be made,” Harmanpreet said.She also pointed to Kapp’s innings as a turning point in the contest.“She (Kapp) took the game away from us. She gave us two chances and those were the key moments that took the game away from us.”Harmanpreet said there were lessons to be learned from the defeat and stressed the importance of staying positive ahead of the next matches.“(There are) a lot of learnings, a lot of positive moments and a lot of moments where I have to stay strong. Now is the time to stay positive and think about what to do in the upcoming matches. Hopefully we can do better in the next matches,” the Indian captain said.South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt praised Kapp’s innings, calling it one of the best she had witnessed.“We were under a lot of stress on the bench there. I think to win from the position we were in was absolutely incredible and it’s probably one of the best hits I’ve seen under that kind of pressure,” Wolvaardt said.She added that defeating India, the team that defeated South Africa in the 2025 ODI World Cup final, made the result even more special.“…and to do it against the side we lost to in the final of the 2025 ODI World Cup is pretty special too. She’s probably the greatest big-match player I’ve ever seen. I’m really glad she’s in my team,” she added.