India’s winning run in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 came to a halt after a tense encounter against South Africa, where the Proteas chased down 159 in 19.1 overs to secure a 6-wicket victory.

Batting first, India posted 158/7 in 20 overs after a promising start. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave the team early momentum with a 59-run opening stand in the powerplay. However, India lost rhythm in the middle overs as wickets fell at regular intervals. Contributions from Harmanpreet Kaur (24) and Deepti Sharma (29) helped push the total, but the finishing surge never fully materialized.

South Africa’s bowling attack kept India under pressure, with Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp picking up two wickets each to restrict the scoring flow.

In reply, South Africa had a shaky start, slipping to 25/2 inside the powerplay. But the match turned dramatically once Marizanne Kapp took control of the chase. She played a sensational unbeaten knock of 81 off 45 balls, smashing 7 fours and 4 sixes, and single-handedly anchored the pursuit.

Despite India’s efforts to stay in the contest, Kapp’s composed yet aggressive batting proved decisive as South Africa reached the target with five balls to spare.

A match that began evenly ended in a statement win for South Africa—powered by one of the finest T20 innings of Kapp’s career.