South Africa Women (SA W) take on India Women (IND W) in a high-stakes clash in Match No. 18 of the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup on Sunday, June 21,
at Old Trafford in Manchester.
India comes into this clash with two wins on their back. They first beat arch-rivals Pakistan by 64 runs in their opening game and followed it up with a 95-run win over the Netherlands. They will be bolstered by the early form of star batter Smriti Mandhana, who scored brilliant half-centuries in both matches, while fellow opener Shafali Verma has also shown fine all-round performances.
South Africa Women, on the other hand, come into this clash needing a victory after starting their campaign off with a loss to Australia. The group, consisting of three heavyweights, sees only two teams make the semi-finals, which means South Africa will need to take maximum points from this clash. They sealed a nervy win against Pakistan, chasing down a total of 127 with just two wickets in hand.
SA W vs IND W Match Details
| Match | South Africa Women vs India Women, Match 18, Women's T20 World Cup 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | Sunday, June 21, 2026, 7:00 PM |
| Venue | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Broadcast and Live Streaming | JioStar Network Channels and JioHotstar (App & Website) |
Old Trafford, Manchester Pitch Report
The surface at Old Trafford in Manchester is one of the bouncier tracks in the country. The ball comes onto the bat quite well, with there being good bounce and carry. Seamers get help with lateral movement, making the new ball overs the most difficult to face. The boundaries are fairly large with a rapid outfield, making run scoring easier. The two games at the venue have seen spinners play a significant role.
SA W vs IND W Head to Head T20I Record
| Matches Played | 24 |
| Won by IND W | 11 |
| Won by SA W | 10 |
| Tie/NR | 03 |
| First-Ever Fixture | November 30, 2014 |
| Most-Recent Fixture | April 27, 2026 |
SA W vs IND W Predicted Playing XIs
India Women (IND W):
Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani
South Africa Women (SA W):
Laura Wolvaardt (c), Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon, Kayla Reyneke, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
SA W vs IND W Probable Best Performers of the Match
Probable Best Batter: Smriti Mandhana
The mercurial Smriti Mandhana was the best batter for India in their clashes against Pakistan and the Netherlands. The southpaw scored a well-made 68 off just 44 balls and followed it up with a commanding 74 off 47 balls. Mandhana has started the tournament in fine form, and India will be hopeful of runs from her bat in their marquee clash against South Africa.
Probable Best Bowler: N Shree Charani
Left-arm spinner N Shree Charani is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with seven scalps. She picked up a three-wicket haul against Pakistan and followed it up with figures of 4 for 19 against the Netherlands. With the injury to Shreyanka Patil, more responsibility would fall on Shree Charani's shoulders.
