India women's World Cup campaign derailed after a 6-wicket loss to South Africa in the third round
Marizanne Kapp's all-round show have made India's remaining matches against Bangladesh and Australia a virtual knockout
Australia have almost qualified for the knockouts after their all their initial three matches
The third round of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 has come to an end with all teams playing three group matches each. India's campaign, which was going on autopilot mode in the initial two matches, faced a major roadblock on Sunday as South Africa handed them a crushing 6-wicket defeat at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, on June 21.
The Women in Blue are placed in a group of death along heavyweights Australia and the finalists of the last two T20 World Cups South Africa. While only two teams can make it to the knockout stage, the defeat against Proteas women has made the road to semifinals difficult for the Indian women's team.
Australia are almost into the semifinal by winning all the three matches played so far. The real competition is between the other two teams who have lost one match each.
South Africa suffered a 65-run loss against Australia in their opener but made a strong comeback against India to bring their campaign back on track.
India started their World Cup journey with a bang, registering dominant wins over Pakistan and the Netherlands by 64 and 95 runs, respectively. While they were cruising at one stage, the loss against South Africa has made things tricky for the ODI World Cup champions.
Let's understand the qualification scenarios for the Indian women's team after round three:
(i) If India win both their matches: India will have to win both their remaining matches against Bangladesh and Australia to keep their fate in their own hands. If India win both their matches, they'll most probably reach the next round even if South Africa come out superior in the rest of the matches, as they have a superior NRR. However, if Harmanpreet Kaur's team just manage to scrape through in their next matches as Proteas women decimate their opponents, then NRR could come into play.
(ii) If India lose one of their remaining matches, they will have to hope South Africa lose one of their matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh. If this doesn't happen, then the Proteas women will go through to the next round.
India Women's Remaining T20 World Cup Group Matches
June 25- India Vs Bangladesh at Old Trafford, Manchester
June 28- Australia Vs India at Lords, London
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Streaming/Telecast Info
Fans can watch every match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 live on JioHotstar. Television coverage will be available on the Star Sports Network. JioHotstar will offer multiple regional language feeds, multi-cam viewing options and vertical mobile streaming for an enhanced viewing experience.
