The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium brought mixed fortunes for India even before the first ball was bowled. South African captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to bowl first, continuing India’s uncanny streak of bad luck with the coin under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership this tournament.
The two-hour rain delay meant conditions were perfect for bowling, and losing the toss became an early setback for India. For Harmanpreet, it marked the eighth toss lost in nine matches, a statistic that not only reflects her misfortune but also puts her alongside a 43-year-old record in World Cup history.
By losing her eighth toss of the 2025 edition, Harmanpreet Kaur equalled former India captain Shanta Rangaswamy’s record for the most tosses lost by an Indian skipper in a single Women’s World Cup. Rangaswamy’s record dates back to 1982, during the early years of women’s international cricket.
The feat also makes Harmanpreet the first captain in the 21st century across men’s or women’s cricket to lose eight tosses in one World Cup campaign. Only England’s Susan Goatman, who lost nine tosses in 13 matches in the same 1982 edition, holds a worse record globally.
Interestingly, Laura Wolvaardt – her South African counterpart, also struggled with tosses this tournament, calling it wrong seven times in nine matches. Ironically, the only two tosses Wolvaardt won were both against India, once during the league stage in Vizag, and again in the high-stakes final.
Most Tosses Lost in a Single Women’s World Cup Edition:
- Susan Goatman (England) – 9 in 13, 1982
- Shanta Rangaswamy (India) – 8 in 13, 1982
- Harmanpreet Kaur (India) – 8 in 9, 2025
- Rasanjali Chandima Silva (Sri Lanka) 7 in 7, 2000
- Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – 7 in 9, 2025
For Indian fans, this might feel like déjà vu, India also lost the toss in their previous two Women’s World Cup finals, in 2005 and 2017, both of which ended in heartbreak. Coincidentally, in both of India’s Men’s World Cup triumphs (1983 and 2011), the team had lost the toss too, proof that sometimes the coin doesn’t decide the game.
As the 2025 final unfolds, India and South Africa both stand on the cusp of history, chasing their first-ever World Cup title. While luck at the toss hasn’t favoured Harmanpreet, her leadership and composure will once again be key as the Women in Blue aim to turn the tide and script a new chapter in Indian cricket.
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