Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will kickstart their T20 World Cup preparations in South Africa when they will take on the hosts in the Women’s T20 Tri-series, starting on 19 January. India and South Africa will lock horns in the first match of the series on Thursday at Buffalo Park in East London. India had suffered a crushing defeat (1-4) at the hands of Australia when the Alyssa Healy-led team toured last month.
With the World Cup around the corner, the Women in Blue will look to start the tournament with a win. However, it won’t be easy for them to beat South Africa on their turf. Let us look at the possibilities of different events in the match.
1. Toss Prediction
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won all of their last three tosses. Meanwhile, the Sune Luus-led team last played a T20I way back in August 2022. So, going by Kaur’s luck factor, India are expected to win the toss on Thursday.
2. Win Possibility
Both teams have selected a strong squad and will be going neck-to-neck but India might pip South Africa, purely on the basis of the match-winners they have in their squad. Smriti Mandhana was in red-hot form when she last played. Captain Kaur is also in a good rhythm. Meanwhile, South Africa will be without Dan Van Niekerk. Plus, India have got a fair lead in the head-to-head record between the two teams.
3. Team of the Day
With the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma in the mix, India will be the Team of the Day.
4. Average first-inning score and powerplay score
Both teams have got a deep batting lineup. So, a run fest is expected at Buffalo Park. While the powerplay score is expected to be around 40-50, the first innings total can end up around 170-175.
5. Betting Odds
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