India Women vs South Africa Women, 1st T20I, Surat: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

The first match of the 5-match T20I series between India Women and South Africa Women will be played on September 24 at Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Surat, which will serve as venue for the entire series. This will be India Women’s first T20I since the retirement of Mithali Raj, their leading run-scorer.

India Women have not been in great touch in T20 cricket of late: they were whitewashed 0-3 in New Zealand in February, then again against England Women at home in March. Before that, they played excellent cricket in the World T20 before losing to England Women in the final.

In the interim period, their T20 brigade – Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues – have done reasonably well in the Kia Super League. They boast of Poonam Yadav, arguably the best spinner in the format, and two excellent all-rounders in Deepti Sharma and Anuja Patil.

South Africa Women, on the other hand, had thrashed Sri Lanka Women 3-0 in February, and got the better of Pakistan Women (3-2) in an intensely contested series – both of them at home. This, however, will be a significantly tougher assignment.

They are without Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, and Chloe Tryon, three of their biggest names in the format. Nevertheless, the experience of Sune Luus, Lizelle Lee, Mignon du Preez, and Shabnim Ismail make them a formidable unit.

Head to head

India Women lead 4-1 here, a win in a one-off match in Bengaluru in 2013-14 and a 3-1 win in South Africa in 2017-18.

Key players

Jemimah Rodrigues (India Women): With 401 runs at a strike rate of 150, Rodrigues was in supreme form in this summer’s Kia Super League. She rounded off the season with 43*, 112*, and 60, and will definitely want to keep the tempo going.

Shabnim Ismail (South Africa Women): The spearhead of the Protean attack (and the greatest fast bowler in their history), Ismail knocked out the top order and finished with 4-0-11-3 in the tour match. She is South Africa’s best bet against the six-hitters in India’s top order.

Likely XIs

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Anuja Patil, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav.

South Africa Women: Lizelle Lee (wk), Tazmin Brits, Laura Wolvaardt, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Sune Luus (c), Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Nondumiso Shangase, Ayabonga Khaka, Anne Bosch.

Prediction

India to go one up.