India, under the direction of Harmanpreet Kaur, will face a formidable opponent when they host South Africa in a multi-format series later this year. In Bengaluru and Chennai, the Proteas will play one Test, three ODIs, and an equal number of T20Is.
The three ODIs that start on June 16 will mark the start of the white-ball leg in Bengaluru. The one-time Test match, meanwhile, is scheduled to begin on June 28 in Chennai. In order to maintain format consistency prior to the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Bangladesh in September and October, the three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) will be played following the conclusion of the red-ball match. The dates of the ODIs and T20Is are June 16, 19, and 23, and July 5, 7, and 9, respectively.
The six white-ball matches were a part of the women’s FTP for the International Cricket Council (ICC). Both series and a New Zealand tour were scheduled to take place between July and September of last year, but the men’s ODI World Cup and other logistical problems forced them to be postponed. The FTP did not include the one-time test. Due to recent efforts by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to advance women’s Test cricket, the addition was postponed.
In December, India has engaged in a pair of Test matches with Australia and England. The BCCI’s announcement of equal match fees for male and female cricket players under central contract was a significant move towards taking the “first step towards tackling discrimination” and before the two Test matches.
In the meantime, South Africa faced England in June 2022 for their first Test match in eight years.
Their most recent four-day match ended in a crushing defeat in Perth, Australia, by an innings and 284 runs in February.
The tour is also a big step towards the BCCI’s goal of expanding women’s cricket to new venues. The BCCI has historically favoured to host teams at several Mumbai locations, citing logistical considerations. With the Women’s Premier League, which Bengaluru and Delhi co-hosted earlier this year, they deviated from that tradition.
The top four teams from the three ODIs will automatically qualify for the 2025 WODI World Cup as part of the ICC Women’s Championship. India will automatically qualify for the main event as it is the hosting nation. South Africa is ranked second on the points standings, and they can secure a top four finish with a strong showing.
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