Kapp stars as South Africa edge India in Women’s World Cup thriller

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Marizanne Kapp scored an unbeaten 81 and took two wickets to lead South Africa to a six-wicket win over India in their Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage match at Old Trafford. This victory keeps South Africa’s semi-final hopes alive as both teams now have four points, making the upcoming India vs. Australia match critical for advancement.

Marizanne Kapp played a pivotal role in South Africa’s six-wicket victory over India in a Women’s T20 World Cup group-stage match held Sunday at Old Trafford. Kapp’s unbeaten 81, which included seven fours and four sixes, guided the Proteas to chase down a target of 159 with five balls to spare, keeping their hopes alive for a semi-final berth.

After contributing with the ball earlier in the game, finishing with figures of 2-27, Kapp’s performance with the bat was decisive. South Africa had a slow start, scoring just 25 runs during the power-play and losing two early wickets. However, Kapp joined Tazmin Brits at the crease, and together they put on a crucial 97-run partnership from 63 deliveries that changed the course of the match.

India struggled to capitalize on a promising beginning, and their fielding lapses proved costly. Kapp was dropped three times, opportunities that ultimately proved decisive. She punished the errors by hitting two sixes in Deepti Sharma’s penultimate over. The winning runs came when Chloe Tryon struck a four off Nandani Sharma.

Reflecting on the match, Kapp acknowledged the challenge of facing India, a strong opponent, and expressed pride in her team’s resilience. “It was a tough game, playing India is always tough,” she said. “I was just praying to be honest... I struggled in the first few balls. The partnership with Taz set us up beautifully.”

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur marked her 200th T20 international appearance in the match but voiced disappointment over her team’s missed chances in the field. “We got a couple of chances in between but couldn’t take those chances. We have to take opportunities at this level,” Kaur said.

Following the result, South Africa and India both sit on four points in Group A, trailing the unbeaten group leaders Australia, who have six points. The upcoming match between India and Australia at Lord’s on June 29 is now crucial in determining which teams will advance to the semi-finals, with only the top two sides from each group moving forward in the tournament.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.