Women's T20 World Cup: India elect to bat against South Africa with 2 big changes in playing XI

India won the toss and decided to bat first against South Africa in their third match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on June 21.
Having won their first two matches, India made two changes to their playing XI for the crucial clash. They brought in Arundhati Reddy at the cost of Kranti Gaud and Prema Rawat in place of injured Shreyanka Patil.

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What did the captains say after the toss?

The match marked a historic milestone for Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who stepped onto the field for her 200th international appearance. Expressing her gratitude toward her family, friends, the BCCI, and God for an "amazing journey," the skipper admitted to feeling a bit of nervous energy ahead of the landmark game. She explained her decision to bat first by noting that the surface looked excellent, and putting up a commanding total would put India in a prime position to win. She also confirmed that while Kranti Gaud sat out, young Prema was making her debut as Shreyanka Patil continued to miss out due to injury.

On the other side, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt admitted she also would have preferred to bat first to get runs on the board in such a massive fixture. Reflecting on their rivalry, Wolvaardt acknowledged that while South Africa had tasted recent success against India, the Women in Blue historically held the upper hand in World Cup meetings. Facing a sluggish pitch, the Proteas made two changes of their own, deliberately injecting batters who excel against spin to counter India's bowling attack.

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India Women (Playing XI):

Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma

South Africa Women (Playing XI):

Laura Wolvaardt(c), Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon(w), Sinalo Jafta, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba