ODI queens, T20 students: South Africa set mirror to India Harmanpreet
The hype was inevitable heading into the Women’s T20 World Cup. India came into the tournament with the momentum of their historic first ICC title, having lifted the ODI World Cup the previous year. This triumph in the 50-over format was widely seen as a turning point for women’s cricket in the country, raising expectations that the team could build on their success and create a period of sustained dominance. Consequently, all eyes were on India when the Women’s T20 World Cup began.
India started their campaign with two stunning wins over Netherlands and Pakistan. However, they all knew that these matches did not really test them. These two matches were more of a honeymoon phase for the Indian team.
But India was brought back to reality when South Africa handed them a six-wicket defeat. The mistakes that India didn’t have to pay for against Pakistan and the Netherlands came back to haunt them against the Proteas.
It was as if South Africa held up a mirror to Harmanpreet Kaur’s team while Laura Wolvaardt’s side showed the others a plan to beat India by exposing their flaws. While India have mastered the ODI format, they are yet to find the right formula for success in T20Is.
INDIA THROWS AWAY GOOD BEGINNINGS
India were guilty of throwing away good starts during their tour of South Africa, a recurring problem that saw them surrender a 3-0 lead before finally collapsing to lose 4-1. In the World Cup match against the Proteas, India got off to a flying start again, scoring 59 runs in the first six overs despite losing both openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana early.
However, with eight wickets in hand, India were expected to reach around 180 runs, especially with a strong middle order and a powerful hitter like Richa Ghosh at his best. Instead, they managed just 99 runs in the last 14 overs.
Most of the batsmen got into double figures and looked poised to make meaningful contributions, but none of them could convert their starts into substantial innings. Richa provided the finishing kick against Pakistan and the Netherlands but could not replicate that impact against a stronger bowling attack.
India still have two matches left and will need their middle order to build on the platform laid by the top order if they are to recover.
SPINNERS CAN’T SAVE YOU EVERY TIME
Indian spinners have been in excellent form throughout the tournament. Deepti Sharma may have conceded 16 runs in the penultimate match in South Africa, but such occasional setbacks are part and parcel of the game and do not detract from its overall impact.
Shree Charani emerged as the leading wicket keeper with 10 wickets at an exceptional average of 6.40 and her remarkable consistency could soon propel her up the ICC T20I rankings, potentially overtaking Linsey Smith.
However, India’s pace attack struggled to make a meaningful impact. Since the tour of South Africa, the seamers have lacked consistency and penetration with the ball.
Arundhati Reddy conceded 50 runs at an economy rate of 10 without taking a wicket, while Kranti Gaud went wicketless against Pakistan and the Netherlands. Nandni Sharma showed early promise against the Dutch but faltered against South Africa.
With limited contributions from the fast bowling unit, India will need significantly more support from their pace attack to maintain balance when the spinners come under pressure.
QUESTS WIN MATCHES
India’s fielding has been a major problem in the World Cup and has played a significant role in their matches so far. On Sunday, Radha Yadav dropped Marizanne Kapp twice and Kapp further made India pay a heavy price. As one of India’s most reliable fielders, Radha is usually expected to set the standard, but she faltered at a crucial moment when India needed her the most.
Against Pakistan, Richa Ghosh and Arundhati Reddy also bagged a catch each and gave Muneeba Ali several lifelines. However, Muneeba, unlike someone of Kapp’s caliber, failed to capitalize on these chances. On the other hand, Kapp is a powerful batsman who once again made India suffer when given the opportunity.
Against topsides, dropped holds are often decisive and leave very little room for recovery. After the match, Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that missed chances proved costly for India. Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle also noted that India’s shooting was below par throughout. If such lapses continue against stronger teams like Australia, the consequences could be much more severe.
TIME IS NEAR TO INDIA
Even before the tournament began, Group A was widely seen as a virtual tri-series between India, Australia and South Africa. Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Netherlands are also part of the group, but given their experience and firepower, it would take something truly extraordinary for the lower-ranked sides to consistently challenge the top three. Having already beaten both India and South Africa, Australia are in a strong position to secure a place in the semi-finals.
As a result, India and South Africa are effectively competing for the remaining qualification spot unless Bangladesh put in an exceptional performance in their final two matches. After South Africa’s win over India, the upcoming clash between India and Australia on June 28 at Lord’s becomes even more important.
If India win, they will put themselves in a strong position to advance, provided South Africa don’t overtake them in sheer pace. However, a defeat would leave India with a high probability of elimination. Apart from the results, India most need to address the flaws that were exposed against South Africa.
If India can tighten up their fundamentals and avoid collapsing under pressure, they are more than capable of not only reaching the semi-finals but also lifting the World Cup at Lord’s next month, a vision earlier floated by a heartbroken Shreyanka Patil who was knocked out of the competition.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
23 Jun 2026 10:57 IST