A sensational unbeaten 81 in 45 balls from player of the match Marizanne Kapp enabled South Africa’s women to beat India by six wickets with five balls to spare and keep alive their hopes of making the playoffs in the ICC T20 World Cup.
South Africa, playing India for the first time in a T20 World Cup match, were effectively playing an away game at a packed Old Trafford dominated by India’s supporters, but the steely-eyed Kapp silenced the stadium with some explosive hitting that included seven fours and four sixes as she powered her team to 161 for four after the Proteas had restricted India to 158 for seven in their innings after they had won the toss and chosen to bat first.
South Africa had lost to Australia and victory at Old Trafford was essential to keep their World Cup hopes alive. They are now equal on points with India behind Australia with two group matches remaining against Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
Marizanne Kapp, what a hero 👏
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 21, 2026
Her 81* is the second-highest score in a women's T20 World Cup chase
South Africa beat India in the final over to stay alive in the World Cup 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/nRACfEsBFY
South Africa have struggled against spin in this competition and they looked vulnerable again as Shree Charani began with a double-wicket maiden in the sixth over, snaring the key wicket of a frustrated Laura Wolvaardt, caught and bowled for 20, and Annerie Dercksen, bowled second ball.
But a third-wicket partnership of 97 off 63 balls from Kapp and opener Tazmin Britz (40 off 36 balls) – which began slowly but gradually gained in authority – hauled the South Africans back into the game.
When Britz was out, caught on the square leg boundary, South Africa still needed 37 off four overs. And when Nadine de Klerk was bowled by India’s spin magician, Chrani, with 13 balls to go, the tension ratcheted up. But Kapp smacked two sixes in the 18th and 19th overs to virtually seal the deal, leaving Chloe Tryon to edge the clinching boundary off the first ball of the final over from Deepti Sharma.
Charani was nearly the matchwinner for India, claiming 3/24 in her four overs while Varma claimed 1/22 in her spell. All four South African wickets fell to spin, but Kapp proved the more potent force.
India had earlier made a lightning start to their innings with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma belting 30 off the first three overs delivered by Shabnim Ismail and Kapp. India went on to record 59 in the power play with 17 runs coming off Chloe Tryon’s opening over.
But they lost their openers in the process. An unnecessary attempted scoop by Mandhana led to her dismissal, bowled by Kapp, and from then on wickets fell regularly as India battled to reassert control.
Ismail claimed her first wicket with her quickest delivery, a bouncer that just brushed the glove of Verma as she ducked. And when Yastika Bhatia was trapped leg before by the impressive Ayabonga Khaka, India had slipped from 30 without loss to 67 for three.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, playing her 200th T20I, brought some calm to the storm, but she lost Jemima Rodrigues who got a leading edge to Nadine de Klerk, lobbing a catch back to the bowler.
Ismail returned for her final over and the move paid off as she forced Kaur (24 off 22 balls) to play on. Deepti Sharma (29) and Richa Ghosh (15) then took India to their final total, probably about 20 short of what they would have wanted on a good pitch for batting.
For South Africa, Ismail bowled with good gas to claim 2/28 and South Africa's heroine, Kapp, matched her with 2/27. Nonkululeko Mlaba, Khaka and De Klerk took a wicket apiece.
Who's your final four? 🍿 pic.twitter.com/GCR5Et727D
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 21, 2026
SOUTH AFRICA: Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon, Sinalo Jafta, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
INDIA: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma