New Delhi: Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur aims to achieve a significant milestone as India seeks a consolation victory against South Africa in the fifth and final T20I at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. Kaur requires just 31 runs to become only the third player in T20 International history to accumulate 4,000 runs.
Currently, Kaur has scored 3,969 runs in 173 T20I innings, with 16 fifties and one century to her name. Should she reach this mark in the final match against South Africa, she would become the second Indian and third overall player to surpass 4,000 runs, following in the footsteps of Suzie Bates and Smriti Mandhana.
Most Runs in Women’s T20Is:
- Suzie Bates: 4,717 runs in 175 innings
- Smriti Mandhana: 4,293 runs in 157 innings
- Harmanpreet Kaur: 3,969 runs in 173 innings
- Chamari Athapaththu: 3,637 runs in 151 innings
- Sophie Devine: 3,587 runs in 147 innings
In match news, South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first. The Indian side is without vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who is being rested, having also missed the previous match as the team intends to provide playing opportunities to more athletes.
“We considered bowling first because we’ve batted in the last four games. As it’s the final match, it presents a good opportunity for us. The last game went exceptionally well; we were clear with our plans and execution on the field. Today, Smriti is resting along with Kashvee, and Arundhati Reddy returns to the lineup. We have nothing to lose now after losing the series, so it’s about giving opportunities to all players before the main event,” Kaur stated during the toss.
South Africa Women (Playing XI): Laura Wolvaardt (c), Sune Luus, Tazmin Brits, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Eliz-mari Marx, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
India Women (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Anushka Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur
