In the Women’s T20 series opener held in Durban, South Africa secured a convincing six-wicket victory over India. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led the charge with a solid 51 runs off 39 balls, while Annerie Dercksen contributed 44 not out off 34 balls to help chase down India's total of 157 runs in just 19.1 overs. India's innings was marked by a strong start from Shafali Verma, who scored 34 runs off 20 balls, but the team faltered in the latter stages, particularly in the last five overs where they managed only 33 runs while losing three wickets. Harmanpreet Kaur's 47 not out off 33 balls and Jemimah Rodrigues' 36 off 29 were the highlights of India's batting. The Indian bowlers struggled, with pacers Arundhati Reddy and Deepti Sharma failing to contain the South African batters. The second match of the five-match series is scheduled for Sunday, serving as a crucial warm-up for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UK.