India‘s hope to move forward smoothly ICC Women’s T20 World Cup suffered a setback after a six-wicket defeat in the semi-finals South Africaencourages the former captain Mithali Raj calling for a review of the team’s batting order. Mithali believes she is the captain Harmanpreet Kaur He should change his batting position, arguing that the change can balance the middle order better and help India maximize their batting resources in the crucial matches ahead.
The defeat at Old Trafford left India with little room for error in the race for the play-offs. A win would have strengthened their position in the group, but instead the team now face must-win fixtures to keep their campaign alive.
Mithali Raj urges Harmanpreet Kaur to change her batting position
Speaking after the match, Mithali suggested that Harmanpreet’s batting at number five limited India’s ability to capitalize during the middle innings. He offered to promote the captain to number four while dropping Jemimah Rodrigues one place.
According to Mithali, Jemima Rodrigues has previously been successful in the number five role and is particularly effective against spin bowling. His ability to use his legs and execute sweeps and scoops could make him a valuable asset once slower bowlers are introduced. He also felt that this adjustment could help Jemimah gain confidence and momentum while allowing Harmanpreet to influence the innings earlier.
The former skipper expressed disappointment over India’s defeat and noted that the result made the road to the semi-finals much more difficult. He noted that India had no choice but to perform strongly in the remaining group stage games.
“Jemimah has played at number five before and has scored a lot of runs there. When she comes in, she will probably face the spinners, which is her strength. She can use her feet and play spoons and sweeps well. It can help her confidence, get her back into rhythm and regain that momentum with Harmanpreet’s header.” Mithali told JioStar.
Marizanne Kapp’s brilliance overshadows India’s competitive total
After a mixed batting with useful contributions from India, India posted 158/7 Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. Shafali provided the early momentum in the attack with 31, while Deepti added a valuable 29 to steady the innings. However, South Africa’s bowling attack kept the score in check at key stages of the innings. Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail claimed two wickets each and prevented India from finishing with the result they were hoping for.
In reply, Kapp produced one of the standout knocks of the tournament, remaining unbeaten on 81 from just 45 deliveries. Along with his calculated aggression Compensation Britain‘ made 40, guiding South Africa to the target with five balls remaining and a memorable six-wicket win.
The defeat marks India’s first defeat in the tournament and leaves their qualification hopes hanging in the balance. South Africa, on the other hand, revived their campaign with a timely win and remained firmly in contention for the semi-finals. For India, the focus now turns to the opposing fixtures Bangladesh and Australia.
Also READ: How India can qualify for T20 Women’s World Cup 2026 semi-finals after defeat to South Africa
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
