India’s hopes of comfortably progressing to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals suffered a setback after a six-wicket defeat to South Africa, prompting former captain Mithali Raj to call for a rethink in the team’s batting order. Mithali believes captain Harmanpreet Kaur should change her batting position, arguing that the change could better balance the middle order and help India maximize their batting resources in crucial matches ahead.
The loss at Old Trafford has left India with little room for error in the race for the knockout stage. A victory would have strengthened their grip on the group standings, but instead the team now faces must-win encounters to keep its campaign alive.
Mithali Raj calls for change of Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting position
Speaking after the match, Mithali suggested that Harmanpreet batting at number five has limited India’s ability to capitalize during the middle overs. She proposed moving the skipper up to number four while shifting Jemimah Rodrigues down a spot.
According to Mithali, Jemimah Rodrigues has previously enjoyed success in the number-five role and is particularly effective against spin bowling. Her ability to use her feet and execute sweeps and scoops could make her a valuable asset once the slower bowlers are introduced. She also felt the adjustment could help Jemimah regain confidence and momentum while allowing Harmanpreet to influence the innings earlier.
The former skipper expressed disappointment over India’s defeat, noting that the result has made the road to the semi-finals considerably more challenging. She pointed out that India now has little choice but to produce strong performances in the remaining group-stage fixtures.
“Jemimah has played at number five before and scored a lot of runs there. By the time she comes in, she will most likely face the spinners, which is her strength. She can use her feet and plays the scoops and sweeps well. That could help build her confidence, get her back into rhythm and regain that momentum, with Harmanpreet batting ahead of Jemimah,” Mithali told JioStar.
Marizanne Kapp’s brilliance overshadows India’s competitive total
India posted 158/7 after a mixed batting effort that featured useful contributions from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. Shafali provided early momentum with an attacking 31, while Deepti added a valuable 29 to steady the innings. However, South Africa’s bowling attack kept the scoring in check during key phases of the innings. Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail claimed two wickets apiece and prevented India from finishing with the imposing total they had hoped for.
In reply, Kapp produced one of the standout knocks of the tournament, remaining unbeaten on 81 from just 45 deliveries. Her calculated aggression, combined with Tazmin Brits’ composed 40, guided South Africa to the target with five balls remaining and secured a memorable six-wicket victory.
The defeat marks India’s first setback of the tournament and leaves their qualification hopes hanging in the balance. South Africa, meanwhile, revived their campaign with a timely victory and remain firmly in contention for a semi-final spot. For India, attention now turns to the remaining fixtures against Bangladesh and Australia.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
