India Women ready to take on South Africa in the 3-match T20I series starting Jul 5
After an emphatic performance in the three-match ODI series and one-off Test, India Women are geared to take on South Africa Women in the three-match T20I series, which is the final leg of the ongoing bilateral tournament between the two nations. The first, second, and third T20Is will be played in Chennai on July 5, July 7, and July 9 respectively.
Head-to-Head
India and South Africa have played 16 T20Is, of which India have won nine and South Africa have won five, with two matches ending in “no result.”
Squads
India Women: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Dayalan Hemalatha, Uma Chetry (wicket-keeper), Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Jemimah Rodrigues, Sajana Sajeevan, Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Asha Sobhana, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy
South Africa Women: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Sinalo Jafta (wicket-keeper), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon.
Players to watch out for
Smriti Mandhana: India’s prolific opening batter is enjoying the form of her life. She has registered two ODI centuries and a Test century against South Africa in this series so far. The left-handed opening batter has 3220 runs in 129 T20I innings at an average of 28 and strike rate of 121.
Renuka Singh Thakur: India’s right arm medium pacer has the uncanny knack of picking wickets in the first over. With her lethal inswingers, she will be a player to watch out for. The 28-year-old has 43 wickets in 40 T20I innings and bowls at an economy of under 6.5 runs per over.
Laura Wolvaardt: The South African captain is the leading run scorer for her team in this ongoing series against India. The right-handed opening batter is also the only South African to have a century across formats. In 60 T20I innings, she has smashed 1609 runs at a healthy average of 37 and strike rate of 114.
Nonkululeko Mlaba: The left-arm spinner of South Africa has the ability to bowl in any phase of the innings. Having been around at the international level since 2019, the 24-year old is a regular member of the team across formats. Under her belt, she has 36 wickets in 47 T20I innings, including the best of 3/10.
Pitch
It will be the first-ever T20I between India Women and South Africa Women in Chennai. However, South Africa have the experience of playing here. They played against Ireland during the 2016 T20 World Cup and won that match by 67 runs. So far, the venue has hosted four women’s T20Is. The teams batting first have won all of them. The average first innings score is 139. Expect a sporting track where there will be something in it for both, batters and bowlers.
Weather
The weather is expected to be cloudy (100% cloud cover) and humid (78% humidity) with a couple of thunderstorms. The average temperature will be about 29 degrees Celsius. There is a 76% chance of rain.
Match details
Date: July 5, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM IST
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Live streaming: Jio Cinema app, Sports 18 network