South Africa need Luus' ice as well as Kapp's fire

Don't leave the dressing room without Sune Luus. Before Sunday, South Africa had played 169 T20Is since Luus' debut in September 2012. She was part of 145 of them (85.80%).

Of their previous five Luusless T20Is going into Sunday's T20 World Cup match against India at Old Trafford, South Africa lost four. Overall, they have lost 14 and won nine without her. When she has played, South Africa have won 73 and lost 67.

Luus is good for business. But she scored six runs across her first two innings at the T20 World Cup. South Africa were hammered by Australia, then squeaked past Pakistan. Something had to give on Sunday, and it was Luus.

Dane van Niekerk replaced Kayla Reyneke to play her first game of the tournament. Leaving Luus out required a leap of faith. Mandla Mashimbyi took that leap and was rewarded with a rousing six-wicket victory, thanks largely to Marizanne Kapp.

Kapp cleanbowled Smriti Mandhana, dismissed Richa Ghosh, then guided South Africa to victory with a 45-ball 81 not out. Her stand of 97 off 63 with Tazmin Brits was the difference between staying alive in the tournament and elimination.

That fate hovers still. South Africa remain one loss away from likely elimination.

Like Luus, Kapp is central to her team's fortunes. She has played in 123 of South Africa's 183 T20Is (67.21%) and is part of 63 wins and 55 losses. Of the 60 T20Is South Africa have played without Kapp, they have won 22 and lost 36.

Kapp is as demure off the field as she is aggressive on it. Luus brings a deceptive languidness to the middle. Fitting both into the same XI has happened 173 times in T20Is, with South Africa winning 85 and losing 82.

The value of Luus' ice and Kapp's fire is starkly apparent when both are missing. Both have been absent in 18 T20Is, and South Africa have won only one of them. Don't leave the dressing room without Luus as well as Kapp.