South Africa Women take on India Women in a BLOCKBUSTER Group 1 clash in the 18th Match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Old Trafford, Manchester on Sunday, June 21 at 7:00 PM IST (2:30 PM local).
India are DOMINANT with 2 wins from 2 and sit TOP of Group 1. They beat PAK by 64 runs (Deepti 5/10) and CRUSHED Netherlands by 95 runs (209/5, Mandhana 74, Charani 4/19 — India’s HIGHEST ever T20 WC total).
SA bounced back from their 65-run loss to AUS by beating Pakistan by 2 wickets (Dercksen 52, Kapp 3/23). This is the BIG match of Group 1. The winner takes a massive step towards the semi-finals. 2024 T20 WC finalists SA vs reigning ODI World Cup champions India.
SA-W vs IND-W Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | South Africa Women vs India Women, 18th Match, Group 1 |
| Series | ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. India TOP of Group 1 (2 wins). SA have 1 win, 1 loss. BLOCKBUSTER clash. |
| Date | Sunday, 21 June 2026 (Day) |
| Time | 7:00 PM IST / 2:30 PM BST local; toss 30 minutes earlier |
| Venue | Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England |
| Format | 20 overs per side |
| Captains | Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Harmanpreet Kaur (India) |
| Form | IND: Beat PAK by 64 runs (170/6, Mandhana 68, Deepti 5/10) + Beat NL by 95 runs (209/5, Mandhana 74 MOTM, 115-run opening stand, Charani 4/19). HIGHEST ever T20 WC total. 2 wins, 0 losses. SA: Lost to AUS by 65 runs (107 all out) + Beat PAK by 2 wkts (127/8, Dercksen 52, Kapp 3/23). 2024 T20 WC finalists. 1 win, 1 loss. |
Dream11 Team For SA-W vs IND-W, 18th Match
Top Picks for SA-W vs IND-W, 18th Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Wolvaardt | SA | Captain / Batter | Captain pick. SA captain. 2024 WC top run-scorer. DUE for a big knock. At 2x. SA’s most important player. |
| Smriti Mandhana | IND | VC / Batter | Vice-Captain pick. 68 + 74 = 142 runs in 2 innings. MOTM vs NL. 115-run opening stand. At 1.5x. Superb form. |
| Deepti Sharma | IND | All-Rounder | 5/10 vs PAK (best-ever IND figures in WT20 WC). 166 WT20I wkts (ALL-TIME LEADING). Off-spin + batting. Must-pick. |
| Marizanne Kapp | SA | All-Rounder | 3/23 vs PAK. Veteran pace AR. SA’s key wicket-taker. Also bats in middle order. Two-way fantasy points. |
| Shree Charani | IND | Bowler | 3/21 on debut vs PAK + 4/19 vs NL. 7 wickets in 2 matches! India’s LEADING wicket-taker this WC. Breakout star. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England |
| Pitch Type | Good BATTING surface with TRUE BOUNCE and CARRY. Traditionally a flat deck that rewards stroke-play. Some assistance for seamers with the new ball. Large ground with big boundaries. |
| Scoring | 150–170 competitive. IND scored 209/5 vs NL and 170/6 vs PAK at other venues. SA managed 127/8 vs PAK. Big totals possible on this batting-friendly surface. |
| Pace vs Spin | PACE effective early (Ismail express pace, Kapp for SA; Renuka, Arundhati for IND). SPIN dominant middle overs (Luus for SA; Deepti 5/10, Charani 4/19 for IND). India’s spin trio has been DEVASTATING this WC. |
| Toss Factor | Both batting first and chasing viable. SCO beat IRE batting first at Old Trafford (161/5 vs 121) earlier this WC. Afternoon conditions should be consistent. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 17–21°C (63–70°F). Pleasant Manchester afternoon. |
| Sky | Partly cloudy. Typical Manchester weather. Some overcast periods possible. |
| Rain Chance | Low to moderate. Manchester weather can be unpredictable. Full match expected. |
| Humidity | Moderate to high. Could assist swing bowlers early. Ismail and Kapp will exploit this. |
| Overall | Good conditions for a full match. No significant disruption expected. Overcast skies may assist seamers. |
SA-W vs IND-W 18th Match Toss Prediction
Old Trafford is a good batting surface. The toss winner could go either way. Batting first is slightly preferred as Scotland posted 161/5 batting first and won here earlier in the WC.
If Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) wins, she bats first. Wolvaardt + Dercksen (52 vs PAK) open aggressively. Then Luus + Kapp + de Klerk (37 vs PAK) build through the middle overs. Set 150+ on a flat Old Trafford surface. Then Ismail (express pace) + Kapp + Mlaba spin defend against Mandhana (142 runs) + Shafali + Harmanpreet.
If Harmanpreet Kaur (India) wins, she bats first. Deploy Mandhana (68+74) + Shafali (115-run opening stands) to build a huge total. Then Harmanpreet (36 vs PAK) + Ghosh (34 vs PAK) accelerate through the middle and death. Set 170+. Then Deepti (5/10) + Charani (4/19) + Renuka spin and pace stranglehold SA’s batting (collapsed to 107 vs AUS).
Injury and Team News
South Africa Women:
SA bounced back from their AUS loss. Dercksen scored 52 vs PAK (SA’s top score) and Kapp took 3/23 as SA won by 2 wickets in a tight chase (127/8 chasing 127). Ismail reversed her retirement for this WC and provides express pace. Wolvaardt is DUE for a big knock (quiet outings in both matches). SA are 2024 T20 WC finalists and have the experience to challenge India. Mlaba’s left-arm spin will be key against India’s right-hand heavy lineup.
India Women:
India are the DOMINANT force in this WC so far. 209/5 vs Netherlands was India’s HIGHEST ever T20 WC total. Mandhana has 142 runs in 2 innings (68 + 74 MOTM). Shafali + Mandhana put on a 115-run opening stand vs NL. Deepti has 5/10 vs PAK (ALL-TIME leading WT20I wicket-taker, 166 wkts). Shree Charani has 7 wickets in 2 matches (3/21 on debut + 4/19 vs NL). Shreyanka Patil had an injury scare vs NL but India have depth. Reigning ODI World Cup champions are looking like the team to beat.
