After Team India’s defeat in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against South Africa, veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has shared that their final group match against Australia would be a virtual quarterfinal. He also stated that the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 champions would have to beat Australia to keep their hopes of reaching the
semifinals alive as well.

However, India faced a six-wicket loss to South Africa in Manchester on Sunday, June 21. They posted 158/7 after opting to bat first and failed to restrict the opponent from achieving the target with five balls in hand.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Where are India standing now? I am saying it would be a virtual quarterfinal because South Africa have two easy games, and I feel they would win those matches. Australia will keep winning their matches. It seems like they are head and shoulders above the rest. 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 have chances to progress, or else they would be done. So it seems like it would be a virtual quarterfinal. Beat Australia at Lord’s and make a place in the semifinals.”

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also added that Team India might have beaten South Africa had they converted their excellent start into a bigger total.

“India decided to bat first after winning the toss, and the start was explosive. We reached 50 very quickly and nearly 100 in 12 overs, but then we couldn’t even touch 160. We lost wickets at regular intervals. This match might have been in your grasp had you scored 10 or 15 more runs. Not even one Indian batter scored a fifty, in which Shafali Verma was absolutely outstanding at the start. After that, in bowling, we had grabbed them in the Powerplay. Sree Charani bowled a double-wicket maiden, which included Laura Wolvaardt’s wicket,” Chopra added.

“However, after that, Marizanne Kapp’s storm came, and she won the game single-handedly. If the entire team scores 161 and someone scores 81 out of that, I mean more than 50 percent runs were scored by a batter who didn’t open, you doff your hat and say that, Marizanne Kapp, you are an outstanding cricketer,” Aakash Chopra concluded.