Marizanne Kapp on significance of winning tri-series battles against India: “You want that bit of momentum when you go into a T20 World Cup”

Seasoned South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has stated that winning the upcoming matches against India in the ongoing Women’s T20I Tri-Series in East London will be a ‘major boost’ for her team, keeping the T20 World Cup 2023 in mind.

South Africa will take on India in the fifth match of the tri-series at Buffalo Park in East London on Saturday, January 28. With West Indies being knocked out of the tournament, the same two teams will once again meet in the final on February 2.

Sharing her views on the importance of South Africa’s upcoming battles against India, Kapp said ahead of Saturday’s match:

“I think it’ll be very important for us as a team. We’ve tried a few combinations, looked at a few players and we know this is not the easiest of wickets. So, if we can beat a team like India on these wickets, it’ll be a massive boost for us as a team. You want that bit of momentum when you go into a T20 World Cup.”

South Africa went down to India by 27 runs in the tri-series opener. The Indians came up with a terrific bowling performance to restrict the hosts to 120/9 while defending a total of 147. In subsequent matches, South Africa have got the better of the West Indies by 44 runs and 10 wickets, respectively.

Reflecting on the challenge of facing India for the second time, Kapp admitted that facing spin bowling is not easy given the surfaces on offer. She explained:

“In these conditions you have to be positive. The first few games we probably battered within ourselves a bit because of these conditions that don’t really suit us. It was and has been tough out there, I’m not going to lie.

"Usually, I’m someone that prefers spin and I quite enjoy facing spin, but it’s really been a challenge on these wickets. So, if we can go out there and just be positive and clear with our plans, it should do us good."

India stifled South Africa with spin when the two teams met in the first match of the tri-series. Deepti Sharma claimed 3/30, Devika Vaidya 2/19, while Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sneh Rana, and Radha Yadav claimed one scalp each.

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“It’s been a good challenge for me” - Marizanne Kapp

Speaking of her individual performances, Kapp has scored 22 and 52, apart from claiming one wicket. South Africa will depend on her to deliver with both the bat and ball against India. The confident 33-year-old stated:

“It’s been a good challenge for me. The past two years, I’ve really enjoyed batting again, whether it’s ODI cricket or T20 cricket. I back myself again, it’s not always been easy on these wickets, but I know we are not always going to play on wickets like these and then I can express myself a bit better.”

Kapp has played 87 T20Is for South Africa, scoring 1120 runs. She has also claimed 67 wickets with her medium pace.