After losing the ODIs 1-4, India Women will host South Africa Women for three T20Is at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. The Indians have not played T20Is since the T20 World Cup final on March 8, 2020. They had looked rusty in the ODIs against the South Africans, who are coming off a full tour against South Africa at home.
India will have Shafali Verma back. Given her stature in global cricket, it is difficult to believe that she turned 17 less than a couple of months ago. She did play a couple of cameos in the Women’s T20 Challenge, but has not played international cricket since taking the world by storm in Australia a year ago. Her return will provide much-needed boost to the Indian side.
India will also have their famed spin quartet of Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Deepti Sharma, and the Yadavs – Radha and Poonam – back. Mansi Joshi did not impress in the ODIs, and India may want to bring in left-arm seamer Monica Patel to bolster their attack.
However, the hip flexor injury to Harmanpreet Kaur during the final ODI came as a major blow to them. Smriti Mandhana, who played several rapid, promising yet unfulfilling cameos in the ODIs, will lead India.
The South Africans will miss Dane van Niekerk and Chloe Tryon. However, they won the ODIs comfortably in their absence (even Sune Luus missed two matches), which will put them at an advantage ahead of the series. The form of Lizelle Lee and Mignon du Preez has been encouraging, while the all-rounders – Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Anneke Bosch, Nadine de Klerk – provide excellent balance to the side.
Key players
Shafali Verma (India Women): Eyebrows had been raised when India had left out Verma for the ODIs. India’s T20 World Cup superstar will be back after a year. She strikes at 146, hits a four or a six roughly every four balls, and is undoubtedly going to be South Africa’s biggest threat.
Lizelle Lee (South Africa Women): Lee, Player of the Series in the ODIs, looked in control throughout the contests. She played the long innings but accelerated at will, and with no Jhulan Goswami to stop her, she is likely to encash on her form.
Likely XIs
India Women: Smriti Mandhana (c), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Mansi Joshi, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Monica Patel.
South Africa Women: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall, Mignon du Preez, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus (c), Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka.