India vs South Africa Women: Harmanpreet Kaur Admits Missed Chances Hurt India in Defeat

By Aditya Nagar | June 22, 2026

India vs South Africa Women: Harmanpreet Kaur said India did not play their best after they lost to South Africa by six wickets in the Women’s T20 World Cup.

On Sunday, June 21, Marizanne Kapp led the Proteas to victory at Old Trafford in Manchester, staying unbeaten on 81 from 45 balls as they chased 159 with five balls left.

Kapp had some luck during her innings, as she was dropped three times on 9, 25, and 66.

Nandni Sharma missed a difficult catch first, and Radha Yadav later dropped two easier chances, allowing Kapp to keep scoring against India.

India vs South Africa Women: Historic 200th T20I for Harmanpreet Ends in Tough Lesson

Harmanpreet, now the first cricketer to play 200 Women’s T20Is, said that missing key catches only makes things harder for your own team.

Harmanpreet Kaur Dropped Catches: After the match, Harmanpreet praised South Africa for their strong performance and said Kapp took control of the game.

She also pointed out two missed opportunities that proved costly to the final result.

She added that at this level, missed chances are costly and can quickly turn the game in the opponent’s favor.

South Africa got off to a slow start, scoring only 25 for two in the powerplay. With the required run rate rising, Kapp maintained her composure to forge a vital 97-run partnership for the third wicket alongside Tazmin Brits.

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Kapp's All-Round Show Leads Proteas to Victory Over India

Marizanne Kapp Innings: KKapp scored her first Women’s T20 World Cup half-century in 34 balls. With 18 runs needed from two overs, she hit Deepti Sharma for two sixes to seal the Proteas' win.

Kapp was equally effective with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for just 27 runs in her four overs—including the key dismissals of Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh—to hand India their first defeat of the tournament.

After beating Pakistan and the Netherlands, they lost to a strong South African team. India will try to bounce back when they play Bangladesh on June 25 in Manchester, an important match as they look to stay in the race for a semi-final spot.

India Women Defeat: Harmanpreet Kaur Emphasizes Resilience as India Eyes Comeback

India vs South Africa Women: Harmanpreet said the loss taught the team some important lessons. She stressed the need to stay strong and keep a positive outlook.

She looked back on the match as a time of both growth and challenges that tested the team's resilience.

Harmanpreet also said it was important to stay positive and focus on improving before the next games, and hoped the team would play Bangladesh on June 25 and Australia on June 28.

Marizanne Kapp Shines as South Africa Beats India by Six Wickets

India vs South Africa Women: In their latest match, Marizanne Kapp stood out with both bat and ball as South Africa beat India by six wickets in the Women's T20 World Cup in Manchester.

Kapp took 2 for 27 to help hold India to 158 for 7, then scored an unbeaten 81 to lead her team to 161 for 4 in 19.1 overs.

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India a strong start, but regular wickets stopped them from reaching a bigger total.

Harmanpreet’s Defining Journey

Just before the match, India head coach Amol Muzumdar and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana presented Harmanpreet with a special jersey and a cap marked '200' as the team gathered around her.

Reflecting on her career, Harmanpreet said she still can’t believe how far she has come.

Surrounded by support, she shared her heartfelt thanks to her family, friends, teammates, and the BCCI, attributing her strength to divine kindness.

Harmanpreet admitted she felt more nervous about her 200th match than she thought she would.

She noticed how calm debutant Prema Rawat was and, after giving Rawat her first cap, encouraged her to enjoy the game.

Harmanpreet Kaur Becomes First Cricketer to Reach 200 T20I Appearances

Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Harmanpreet now holds the record for the most T20I appearances among women cricketers.

Other leading players include New Zealand's Suzie Bates with 184 matches, Danni Wyatt-Hodge with 183, Australia's Ellyse Perry with 177, and Mandhana with 169.

Among men's players, Ireland's Paul Stirling leads with 163 T20I matches. He is followed by former India captain Rohit Sharma with 159, Ireland's George Dockrell with 157, England's Jos Buttler with 155, and Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi with 152.

India vs South Africa Women: Kapp and Brits Guide South Africa to Record Win Over India

South Africa Women Win: Shafali was the top scorer with 31, Deepti Sharma added 29, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 24 in her 200th T20I.

In reply, South Africa slipped to 25 for 2 after a good spell from Sree Charani, but Kapp and Tazmin Brits, who scored 40, put on 97 runs to steady the chase.

Kapp finished the match well, helping South Africa set a Women's T20 World Cup record for the highest successful run chase and giving India their first loss of the tournament.

The win moved South Africa to third in Group A, while India stayed second.

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