Overview
“Indeed.”
Tazmin Brits’ single‑word reply when asked whether Sunday would see South Africa openly backing Australia captured the strained dynamics in Group B of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Sunday marks the final league‑stage day, deciding which two teams advance to the semi‑finals. Play opens at 09:30 GMT (10:30 local) with South Africa taking on Bangladesh, followed by India versus Australia at 13:30 GMT (14:30 local). Both fixtures are hosted at Lord’s.Australia have already secured a semi‑final berth in all but name. Although South Africa are favored to defeat Bangladesh, their modest net run rate leaves their progression dependent on an Australian victory over India.
India have repeatedly encountered Australia as the obstacle standing between them and an ICC crown, typically in a semi‑final or final. This edition, however, their most formidable challenge appears in the league stage.
Although Phoebe Litchfield has sat out three matches with injury, Australia continue to perform strongly. In contrast, India have seemed disjointed and inconsistent, having rotated through their entire 16‑player squad without settling on a definitive starting eleven.India have faced several problems: Yastika Bhatia’s deployment at number three has failed to produce the anticipated impact, Shreyanka Patil’s injury has deprived them of a vital contributor, and the side has hesitated to rely on any of its fast bowlers for consistent selection. Subpar fielding has further compounded these difficulties.
Nevertheless, they can take encouragement from their previous encounter with Australia—the 2025 ODI World Cup semi‑final—in which they executed a record‑breaking chase.
South Africa will be rallying behind Australia on Sunday•Getty Images
Squad Updates and Probable Line‑ups
Both Bangladesh and South Africa are expected to retain their starting elevens.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Dilara Akter, 2 Juairiya Ferdous, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), 5 Sobhana Mostary, 6 Ritu Moni, 7 Shorna Akter, 8 Rabeya Khan, 9 Nahida Akter, 10 Marufa Akter, 11 Sanjida Akter Meghla
South Africa (probable): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Annerie Dercksen, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Nadine de Klerk, 6 Chloe Tryon, 7 Dane van Niekerk, 8 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba
A fully fit Phoebe Litchfield may return to the side, potentially displacing Lucy Hamilton.
Australia (probable): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Georgia Voll, 3 Phoebe Litchfield, 4 Ellyse Perry, 5 Ashleigh Gardner, 6 Georgia Wareham, 7 Annabel Sutherland, 8 Nicola Carey, 9 Sophie Molineux (capt), 10 Alana King, 11 Kim Garth
India might consider recalling Bharti Fulmali to replace Yastika Bhatia, though the selection of their two pace bowlers remains uncertain.
India (probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur, 5 Bharti Fulmali/Yastika Bhatia, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Radha Yadav, 9 Arundhati Reddy/Nandani Sharma, 10 Renuka Singh, 11 N Shree Charani
Harmanpreet Kaur has endured a difficult batting run in this World Cup•ECB via Getty Images
Key Players to Monitor
Rabiya Khan has largely flown under the radar for Bangladesh. Although she has claimed just three wickets in four outings, her economy rate of 5.58 is impressive. With leg‑spinners proving effective against South Africa in the competition, she could become a vital bowler for her team.Tazmin Brits was not South Africa’s initial opening batter when the tournament began. Nevertheless, after just two matches she leads the side in runs with 154 at a strike rate of 146.66. As South Africa aim for another commanding victory, she could once again prove influential.It may be surprising that Ellyse Perry had not yet recorded a fifty in a T20 World Cup prior to this week. On Tuesday she amended that with 71 runs from 48 balls versus Pakistan, while also claiming 2 for 9 in a single over to reaffirm her all‑round capabilities. She now lies only five runs shy of her personal best score in the tournament.Historically, Harmanpreet Kaur has frequently been India’s standout performer against Australia in high‑stakes matches. In this World Cup, however, she has appeared far below her usual standard, amassing only 85 runs across four games at a strike rate of 106.25 without clearing the boundary. The question remains whether she can rediscover her form when India require her most.
Weather and Pitch Conditions
Thus far, Lord’s has staged a single World Cup fixture, in which England posted 186 for 7 before holding the West Indies to 148 for 5. For Sunday’s encounters, the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures hovering near 25 °C.
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