The South Africa – India Women’s T20I series has been a tough pill to swallow for India so far, as South Africa has already managed to wrap things up with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match series. In the last outing at the Wanderers, India actually put up a massive 192 on the board thanks to some aggressive half-centuries from Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur, but even that wasn’t enough. Laura Wolvaardt played an absolute blinder, smashing a 47-ball century that made the chase look like a walk in the park.
Heading into the fourth T20I, the primary concern for India remains their discipline in the field and the lack of bite in the middle overs. While the batting finally clicked in the third game, the bowling unit has struggled to contain the likes of Wolvaardt and Sune Luus, who have been in imperious form. For the hosts, it’s all about maintaining this ruthless momentum. They’ve looked incredibly settled and confident, and with the pressure of winning the series now off their shoulders, we might see them play even more freely.
Squads:
South Africa Women’s Cricket Team
Laura Wolvaardt (C), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Tebogo Macheke, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Kayla Reyneke, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon
India Women’s Cricket Team
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Uma Chetry, Bharti Fulmali, Kranti Gaud, Kashvee Gautam, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Anushka Sharma, N Sree Charani
Players to watch out:
Sune Luus
Sune Luus has been a vital presence in the middle order, showing remarkable consistency throughout this three-match stretch. She has accumulated 134 runs at an impressive average of 67.00, highlighted by two half-centuries and a best of 64*. Her ability to rotate strike and find the boundary, evidenced by her 15 fours and 3 sixes, has kept the scoreboard ticking at a solid strike rate of 141.05.
Tumi Sekhukhune
Leading the charge for the South African bowling attack, Tumi Sekhukhune has consistently applied pressure on the Indian batters. Across 12 overs of work, she managed to claim 5 wickets with the best bowling performance of 3/31. While her economy rate sits at 9.08, her strike rate of 14.40 proves she has a knack for breaking partnerships just when the opposition looks to accelerate.
Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur continues to anchor the Indian lineup with her experienced approach, accumulating 125 runs across three innings. Averaging 62.50, she remained unbeaten once and recorded a top score of 66 to help stabilize the middle phase. With a strike rate of 156.25 and 17 boundary hits, she has once again demonstrated her capacity to switch gears and dominate the bowling.
Shreyanka Patil
Shreyanka Patil has emerged as a key wicket-taking option for India, topping the charts with 5 wickets from her 11 overs. She has maintained a disciplined line to record an average of 18.20 and an economy of 8.27, making it difficult for the South African batters to get away. Her best figures of 2/26 reflect her growing confidence and effectiveness in the international setup.
Pitch:
The Wanderers pitch is a classic South African surface characterized by its hard, dry nature and significant pace and bounce. While out-and-out fast bowlers are rewarded with sharp carry and seam movement early on, the track tends to flatten out into a true batting paradise as the game progresses, making it ideal for high-scoring limited-overs encounters.
Weather:
The weather in Johannesburg will be on the cooler side with some dampness during the day. Expect rain interruptions and delays with showers on the radar throughout the day.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Tumi Sekhukhune, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shreyanka Patil, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma
Match Details:
Date – April 25, 2026
Time – 9:30 PM IST
Venue – The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Jio Hotstar and telecast on Star Sports Network.
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