South Africa completed their T20 World Cup preparations with a 4-1 series victory over India, finishing with a successful defence of 155 in the final match in Benoni. Having earlier secured an unassailable 3-0 lead through successful chases in Durban and Johannesburg, the hosts opted to bat first in the decider and signed off with a 23-run win on Freedom Day.
South Africa 155 for 6 (Wolvaardt 92*, Renuka 2-21, Charani 2-22)
beat India 132 for 8 (Fulmali 40, Mlaba 2-15, de Klerk 2-26) by 23 runs
The series was dominated by captain Laura Wolvaardt, who finished as the leading run-scorer with 330 runs — the highest tally by any batter in a bilateral T20I series. Her returns were 54 runs clear of Amelia Kerr, whose comparable effort came against South Africa in a 4-1 series loss a month earlier. Turning that result around has given South Africa strong momentum heading into the global tournament.
India, meanwhile, leave the tour with several concerns. Their inability to strike in the powerplay remained evident, while experimentation at the top — including resting Smriti Mandhana and pairing Shafali Verma with Anushka Sharma — yielded mixed results. Deepti Sharma’s return to form provided some positives, but improvements will be needed ahead of their matches in England before the World Cup.
Wolvaardt Anchors the Innings
Celebrating her 27th birthday, Wolvaardt continued her outstanding run of form with another commanding innings. She registered her fourth fifty-plus score of the series and sixth in her last seven international outings, finishing unbeaten on 92 from 56 balls.
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Her evolution as a batter was evident, particularly in her expanded scoring areas. While traditionally strong on the off side, she found early runs through the leg side, including her first boundary off a short delivery. Her half-century came off 30 balls, maintaining a strike rate well above 100.
One defining moment came in the 14th over when she struck a powerful shot off Shafali Verma that Jemimah Rodrigues struggled to stop, as South Africa reached 97 for 3 and began to push forward again.
India Restrict Middle Order
While Wolvaardt stood firm, India’s bowlers kept the rest of the batting lineup under pressure. Sune Luus made 23 off 23 balls but was slow early and was eventually stumped at the end of the ninth over, triggering a collapse.
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South Africa lost 6 wickets for 49 runs across nine overs, largely due to poor shot selection. N Shree Charani dismissed Luus and then bowled Tazmin Brits, while Deepti Sharma followed up her previous match’s five-wicket haul with two more wickets. Renuka Singh also struck twice in one over, removing Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk.
Despite the middle-order slide, Wolvaardt’s presence ensured South Africa posted a competitive total.
Early Pressure in the Chase
South Africa made strong inroads while defending their total, with Chloe Tryon playing a key role in the field. She took three catches early on, including a difficult effort at short fine leg to dismiss Shafali Verma, followed by grabs at deep square leg and long-on to remove Jemimah Rodrigues and Anushka Sharma.
India slipped to 38 for 3 in the eighth over but found some resistance through a 38-run stand between Harmanpreet Kaur and Bharti Fulmali, who top-scored with 40.
Tryon later dismissed Fulmali lbw but dropped Richa Ghosh on four. Ghosh went on to remain unbeaten on 25, though India struggled to build partnerships and remained behind the required rate.
Jafta Seals the Result
Any hopes of a late push were ended by Sinalo Jafta behind the stumps. After Ghosh found boundaries against Nadine de Klerk, Jafta produced a sharp stumping to dismiss Deepti Sharma, reacting quickly to an offcutter that beat the batter.
Her performance highlighted her growth as a wicketkeeper amid competition for the role within the squad.
India ultimately fell short at 132 for 8, with only one partnership exceeding 23 runs, as South Africa wrapped up a comprehensive series victory ahead of the T20 World Cup.
