After Team India’s defeat of their Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against South Africa, veteran cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has added that their final group game against Australia could be a virtual quarterfinal. He said that the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 champions would need to beat Australia to maintain their hopes of reaching the
semifinals alive.
Nevertheless, India suffered a six-wicket loss to South Africa in Manchester on Sunday, June 21. They posted 158/7 after opting to bat first and didn’t restrict the Proteas women from achieving the goal with five balls to spare.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Where are India standing now? I’m saying it will be a virtual quarterfinal because South Africa have two easy games, and I feel they might win those matches. Australia will keep winning their matches. It looks like they’re head and shoulders above the remaining. So if South Africa win their remaining games, we also win the one match in between, and assuming Australia don’t lose to Pakistan, if India win the match against Australia, they’ve probabilities to progress, or else they might be done. So it looks like it will be a virtual quarterfinal. Beat Australia at Lord’s and make a spot within the semifinals.”
“Marizanne Kapp, you’re an impressive cricketer” – Aakash Chopra
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra shared that Team India might need beaten South Africa had they converted their excellent start right into a more big total.
“India decided to bat first after winning the toss, and the beginning was explosive. We reached 50 in a short time and nearly 100 in 12 overs, but then we couldn’t even touch 160. We lost wickets at regular intervals. This match might need been in your grasp had you scored 10 or 15 more runs. Not even one Indian batter scored a fifty, by which Shafali Verma was absolutely outstanding at the beginning. After that, in bowling, we had grabbed them within the Powerplay. Sree Charani bowled a double-wicket maiden, which included Laura Wolvaardt’s wicket,” Chopra added.
“Nevertheless, after that, Marizanne Kapp’s storm got here, and he or she won the sport single-handedly. If your complete team scores 161 and someone scores 81 out of that, I mean greater than 50 percent runs were scored by a batter who didn’t open, you doff your hat and say that, Marizanne Kapp, you’re an impressive cricketer,” he concluded.
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