🏏ICC Women's World Cup 2025: South Africa W vs India W, FINAL🏏

🏏ICC Women's World Cup 2025: South Africa W vs India W, Final🏏

The Maidens in Blue chase their maiden dream; the World Cup awaits a few feet away!! 🏆

Every dream begins with belief. For the Maidens in Blue....our Indian Women’s Cricket Team, the dream has always been clear, shining brightly beyond every boundary line: a maiden World Cup.

They’ve carried this dream through sweat, sacrifice, and silent struggles. Each run scored, each dive in the field, and each tear behind the helmet has been a step toward this very moment. They are not just playing a sport; they are rewriting history for every young girl who dares to pick up a bat and dream big.

Once upon a time, women’s cricket was a whisper in the shadow of fame. But today, it roars with pride and passion. The Maidens in Blue have turned that whisper into a song of resilience. Their journey speaks of countless hours of practice under the scorching sun, of missed family moments, and of unshaken resolve.

When they walk onto the field, they carry more than a bat and a ball....they carry a billion hopes. The flag on their jersey is not just fabric; it’s the heartbeat of a nation that stands behind them.

A maiden World Cup....it’s not just a trophy they seek, but a moment that will echo through generations. A moment that says dreams have no gender, only determination.

So, here’s to our Maidens in Blue for their courage, for their fire, and for the dream that unites us all. May their dream turn into history and their belief into glory.

Two teams, the same haunting past, and a chance to finally set the record straight. The 2025 Women's World Cup final has brought two familiar stories to a decisive chapter. India and South Africa have spent years chasing the elusive silverware, and they now find themselves one step away from rewriting their destinies. A new world champion is guaranteed this Sunday.

For India, this is perhaps their most hard-earned final. Their journey has seen cracks appear in the face of tough defeats and pressure of epic proportions.

But the team has belatedly shown their tendency to identify red flags and course-correct on the fly. They stumbled upon a near-perfect XI by the knockouts - and with it, their near-perfect game.

Now they have one final frontier to cross. On either side of India's dominating 3-0 series sweep in the ICC Women's ODI Championship 2022-25 was soul-crushing defeats to South Africa in World Cups.

Between that no-ball in Christchurch and the Nadine de Klerk-inspired coup in Vizag, India have been the more commanding of the two in the format. That said, games of this magnitude have a way of levelling all equations.

India entered the tournament still burdened with their string of knockout defeats to Australia. Old doubts resurfaced when, in the midst of their campaign-threatening streak of losses, the hosts abjectly conceded two points despite putting on 330 on the board.

However, they flipped the narrative in the semifinal - chasing down the highest total in Women's ODI history to knock out the defending champions and book a spot in the final of a home World Cup.

However cathartic that triumph was, India know too well from 2017 that a win against Australia in the semifinal doesn't guarantee glory. It's a feeling South Africa grasp just as deeply from their latest heartbreak.

South Africa's defiance and growth was on ample display between their 69 all out against England and the 97 all out against Australia - the two embarrassing defeats that bookended their round-robin stage. England had been a thorn in their flesh, ending their promising campaigns in both 2017 and 2022 semifinals.

The Guwahati fiasco told another tale of missed opportunities. Yet, in the winning streak that followed, something shifted. Led by their talismanic skipper, they dismantled England with ruthless calm unshackled from the weight of their past.

This is the first final without Australia or England in it - a testament to how far India and South Africa have both come. They stand here having conquered their worst fears. Now, they're staring at the same truth - it's time to conquer those nerves.

They've stood on this stage multiple times before, only to let it slip away repeatedly. For India, two previous ODI finals have ended in anguish.

For South Africa this marks their third straight ICC final across formats without any silverware to show for it. On Sunday, they will take the field carrying heartbreak and expectations. But only one will find closure and the other, fresh scars.

When: Sunday, November 2 at 3 PM IST

Where: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

What to expect:Flat pitch, quick outfield and short boundaries will make for another high-scoring game. However, there's also a bit of rain around to likely interrupt play. There is also a reserve day, just in case.

Head-to-head: India lead 20-13 in 34 ODIs (1 no result). The World Cups record is at 3-all with South Africa having won all of the last three encounters dating back to the group game in 2017. Since the beginning of IWC 2022-25, India lead 5-1 with the only loss coming earlier in this tournament.

Team News

India: Whether India bring back offspinner Sneh Rana for left-arm spinner Radha Yadav is the only question. Teams barely like to change a winning combination but India aren't averse to positive changes anymore, going by their three games here. Radha was expensive against Australia on a flat track - 0/66 in eight overs, and Rana has a stellar record against South Africa in 2025 including her career-best 5/43 in the tri-series in Colombo on white-ball comeback. Rana's addition also provides some batting cushion lower down the order where Radha is yet to prove herself with the bat at the highest level.

Probable XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amanjot Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana/Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur

South Africa: The first-time finalists too have a similar conundrum. They dropped Masabata Klaas for some batting depth instead, in the semifinal against England, and now with batting-friendly conditions expected in the final, they would be tempted to stick to their winning XI.

Probable XI:Laura Wolvaardt (C), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch/Masabata Klaas, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

Did You know?

- Smriti Mandhana is 52 runs away from becoming the 10th woman, and second Indian, to 1000 runs in Women's ODI world Cups

- Laura Wolvaardt needs 73 more to enter the top-three of all-time run-scorers in Women's ODI World Cups

- This will be the first ODI World Cup final featuring neither Australia nor England.

What they said:

"It's going to be a very tough game 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. We're very excited for the game. They're a very good side. We're going to have to play some really good cricket to beat them." Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa captain, on the crowd factor

"No doubt they have played very good cricket even though their start was not that good. Even after that, the way they came back to this tournament, that's outstanding to watch. It's a very balanced side. We know that they have a good bowling attack and at the same time there is a lot of depth in batting. But our team has also got a lot of positives. Tomorrow's match is going to be very interesting and we are mentally and physically preparing ourselves for that level." - Harmanpreet Kaur, India captain, on facing South Africa again after a close defeat earlier

It is time for the biggest match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. India takes on South Africa in the final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2. Both teams come into the summit clash on the back of statement wins in their respective semi-final matches. While India hunted down 338 against Australia in a record chase, South Africa crushed England by 125 runs to reach their first-ever ODI World Cup final.

Venue, pitch, and conditions

DY Patil has played true and quick this week: Australia’s 338 was overhauled in 48.3 overs, underlining a batter-friendly surface with value for stroke play. One can expect grip on the surface if it slows late in the game; otherwise, run-making should dominate. Dew is likely in the second innings, and hence chasing could be the more preferred option in the final.

India’s route and strengths

India’s semifinal was defined by Jemimah Rodrigues’ 127* and her 167-run stand with Harmanpreet Kaur (89), proof of their middle order can chase big. The bowling core has been steady throughout the tournament; however, they would look to work on their fielding. Momentum plus home conditions and crowd energy tilt the soft edges towards India.

South Africa’s route and strengths

South Africa were ruthless against England in the semi-final: Laura Wolvaardt’s exceptional batting got them to 319/7, and then Marizanne Kapp ensured the team’s win with a brilliant five-fer. Their top three have been proactive, and Kapp’s all-round threat plus Ayabinga Khaka’s accuracy give them wicket-taking bite in the powerplay and also at the death. Importantly, South Africa beat India in the group stage, so they have the belief with them.

Head-to-Head and numbers that matter

India lead the overall ledger in ODIs by a 20-13 margin. South Africa have closed the gap across the last two cycles and won their CWC25 meeting. On a truer DY Patel surface, boundary percentage and death-overs efficiency will be decisive. If dew sets in, defending anything under 300 could be tricky.

Tactical calls to watch

• Toss: With dew expected, chasing is something both the captains will prefer.
• New-ball matchups: India’s left-right openers vs Kapp and Khaka’s precise bowling would be crucial. On the other hand, India will have to find a way to neutralise Wolvaardt and Brits’ opening partnership.
• Middle-overs tempo: Rodrigues/Harmanpreet vs the South African middle overs bowling of South Africa will be a key factor in deciding the fate of the match.