In what promises to be a defining afternoon for women’s cricket, South Africa’s skipper, Laura Wolvaardt struck a calm yet determined tone on the eve of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final against a red-hot India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, scheduled for Sunday, November 2, 2025, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai from 3 PM IST.
The Proteas, who have never before, men’s or women’s, reached the summit clash of an ODI World Cup, are on the brink of rewriting history after storming past England by 125 runs in the first semi-final in Guwahati.
India, in contrast, are hunting for redemption and glory in their third final appearance after 2005 and 2017, having stunned Australia in a record chase of 339 at the same venue. Wolvaardt’s team, which endured a roller-coaster campaign that began with a 10-wicket defeat to England and then a streak of five consecutive wins, now stands one step away from immortality.
“We know it’s going to be a very tough game,” Wolvaardt admitted at the pre-match press conference. “With the whole crowd behind India, probably a sold-out stadium, it’s going to be a very exciting opportunity. But at the same time, I think it puts a lot of pressure on them as well. They have the whole country behind them and are sort of expected to win. It sort of plays in our favour, hopefully. They’re a very good side, and we’re going to have to play some really good cricket to beat them. But we’re very excited for the opportunity.”
Composure Amid Pressure
Wolvaardt’s mantra for the final was simple: stay calm under pressure. “I think just holding on and staying calm is going to go a long way tomorrow,” she said, emphasising that it would take composure and clarity to withstand the energy of a buzzing DY Patil Stadium. “Mandla [Mashimbyi, our head coach] normally does the really inspirational stuff, the ‘you’re carrying your country’ type of thing. And then I think I’ll just come with a little ‘stay calm, girls’ at the end. There’s going to be a lot of noise, a lot happening, a lot of maybe different routines than you’re used to in a normal game. But at the end of the day, we’re going to have to do the basics for longer throughout the game and hold the nerve for longer.”
The South African captain knows that history will count for little when the first ball is bowled. Despite three consecutive wins against India in their last three World Cup encounters, Wolvaardt was quick to dismiss any notion of past dominance. “We’re trying not to think too much about the past at all,” she said. “Every cricket game starts at zero. We can’t sort of bring any of our history into this game, whether it be finals that we’ve lost or games that we’ve won against India. We’re just really trying to erase all of that and start completely afresh. Whoever stays the calmest under that pressure is going to most likely come out on top tomorrow.”
From Group Stage Struggles to Final Flourish
South Africa’s road to the final has been a story of resilience. After a low of 69 all out against England in their opener in Guwahati, Wolvaardt’s side rebounded to defeat New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in quick succession, five straight wins that carried them into the knockouts before a stumble against Australia. “We don’t just lose our skill or gain our skill overnight,” Wolvaardt reflected. “It’s definitely just a couple of games that we had to put behind us, and we were able to bounce back really well from those two losses. I think we took the learnings, put it behind us, and focused on the next game we needed to do well in.”
Now, returning to action at the DY Patil Stadium, a ground where South Africa have not played a single match this World Cup, Wolvaardt expects conditions to test both captains equally. “I enjoy it as a batter, but not too much as a captain, the super flat wickets,” she said with a laugh. “It’s going to be a really big crowd, probably the biggest crowd that a lot of our girls have played in front of. It might be pretty high scoring, which is why staying calm will be really important. With all the boundaries and the noise, we just need to stay as grounded and focused as possible.”
The Changing Order of Women’s Growth
The final, notably the first in the tournament’s history without Australia or England, marks a symbolic power shift in the women’s game. Wolvaardt welcomed the development. “Definitely very good for the health of the sport,” she remarked. “I think it’s very exciting that we have a potential new champion of the World Cup. It shows how much the women’s game is developing and how different countries are able to develop quality cricketers. You’ve seen with India and the WPL how many new cricketers have surfaced. We’ve also come a long way as a team and are really proud of the strides we’ve made in the last couple of years.”
For South Africa, this final carries meaning beyond silverware. “For us, I think it’ll just be really special for women’s cricket in the country,” she said. “I can only imagine what something like a World Cup Trophy would do back home, just the amount of girls that will be able to see it on TV, to be able to hear that we’re a World Cup-winning nation. It’s hopefully very inspirational.”
Kapp’s Influence and the Team’s Growth
Much of South Africa’s success has been built around Marizanne Kapp’s brilliance, both as an all-rounder and mentor. “She’s probably one of the hardest workers in the side,” Wolvaardt said admiringly. “Probably hits the most balls, does the most prep, which is saying something for how good she is. She probably doesn’t need to do half of that work because she’s so talented. She gets a lot of confidence from her preparation and is very specific about it. She’s two players in one, could play for any side, just as a batter or just a bowler. We’re very lucky to have her.”
Reflecting on South Africa’s evolution since their 2023 T20 World Cup final at Newlands, Wolvaardt saw this as a continuation of progress. “That game was pretty special, obviously the first time being in the final, and since then, we’ve seen domestic contracts introduced back home. Now there’s the opportunity to go one step further, and I can only imagine what it could do for women’s cricket in the country. We’ve already created a lot of noise back home, getting messages from different people who started watching women’s cricket because of this tournament. That’s really cool.”
As the DY Patil Stadium prepares for a packed house under the November sun, Wolvaardt and her team are embracing the moment, aware of the stakes but grounded in their approach. “I’m really trying not to think too far ahead,” she concluded. “Just to slow down, take a big breath, and hope we can do that as a group. It’s a really big game against a quality side, but if we stay calm, we give ourselves the best chance.”
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