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India Women captain Harmanpreet Kaur lamented the team's missed chances in the field after their six-wicket defeat to South Africa in the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup, admitting that the dropped catches proved costly.
Defending 158/7, India endured a disappointing outing in the field, missing a potential chance off Tazmin Brits when she was on 18 and giving Marizanne Kapp two reprieves on 25 and 65 through substitute fielder Radha Yadav. The South African pair capitalised on the opportunities, with Kapp remaining unbeaten on 81 to guide her side to a victory and hand India their first loss of the tournament. After the match, Harmanpreet said India's dropped catches proved costly, as the team failed to capitalise on key opportunities in the field. While she praised the bowling efforts of Shree Charani and Shafali Verma, she noted that the lack of support from the fielders hurt India's chances. "We got a couple of chances in between, but couldn't take those chances. We have two matches and this is the time to stay positive. Shree Charani and Shafali bowled well but the fielders didn't support them. We have to take opportunities at this level. We were not lucky enough with that. We have two matches and this is the time to think about that. We will sit and rethink about what to do and then will see the changes to be done. [On Kapp] She took the game away from us. She gave us two chances and those were the crucial moments and that took the game away from us," the Indian captain said in the post-match presentation. Harmanpreet said the defeat offered several lessons and positives, stressing the importance of staying strong and maintaining a positive mindset. "Lots of learning, lots of positive moments and lots of moments where I have to stay strong. Now is the time to stay positive and think what to do in the upcoming games. Hopefully, we come up better in the next games," she said. India will next lock horns against Bangladesh on June 25 before facing off against Australia on June 28. Coming to the match, Marizanne Kapp starred with both bat and ball as South Africa defeated India by six wickets in the Women's T20 World Cup in Manchester. Kapp first claimed 2/27 to help restrict India to 158/7 before smashing an unbeaten 81 to guide her side to 161/4 in 19.1 overs. India made a strong start through Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, but regular wickets prevented them from capitalising. Shafali top-scored with 31, while Deepti Sharma made 29 and captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 24 in her 200th T20I appearance. In reply, South Africa were reduced to 25/2 after a brilliant spell from Sree Charani, but Kapp and Tazmin Brits (40) added 97 runs to revive the chase. Kapp then finished the job in style, helping South Africa complete their highest successful chase in Women's T20 World Cup history and hand India their first defeat of the tournament. The victory lifted South Africa to third place in Group A, while India remained second. (ANI)
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