A new World Cup winner awaits as India meet South Africa in the final

A first-time ICC Women’s ODI World Cup winner will be crowned on Sunday at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, where hosts India meet South Africa in a match that has the makings of a classic. 

A mere four days on from being bowled out for 97 by defending champions Australia, South Africa knocked England out of the semi-finals to secure their first World Cup final, courtesy one of the best World Cup innings of all time from captain Laura Wolvaardt. 

The following night, in what stands as arguably their greatest ODI victory to date, India pulled off a record run-chase to knock Australia out of the World Cup, riding on a sensational unbeaten 127 from Jemimah Rodrigues. 

And now, two rejuvenated teams clash in Navi Mumbai for the biggest prize available.

South Africa have never won an ICC women’s trophy, having exited in the semi-finals of the 2017 and 2022 ODI World Cups – to England, both times – and they will hope that their third successive global final, after the last two World Cups in 2023 and 2024, ends decades of disappointment. 

They have plenty to take confidence from. Wolvaart’s 143-ball 169 in the semi-final was truly a fantastic century, backed by allrounder Marizanne Kapp’s 5/20 which made her the most successful bowler in World Cup history. And while Wolvaart stands in a league apart with a tournament-topping 470 runs at 67, there has been support from Tazmin Brits (212), Kapp (204) and Nadine de Llerk (190). 

Nonkululeko Mlaba has 12 wickets, joint most for South Africa with Kapp, and de Klerk has chipped in with eight. A team reliant on allrounders has done well to reach this far; now getting past the home team remains. 

India will believe this is their time. Not so long ago, their campaign was on the skids following three successive defeats, which included failing to defend 330 against Australia and losing to England by four runs. 

But now, after sealing the highest ever target in women’s ODI cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team are an emboldened team. 

That historic chase hung in the balance after Harmanpreet fell for a vital 89, with 113 runs needed from 88 deliveries. Jemimah, dropped thrice, used her luck to script an epic innings that saw India home with five wickets and eight deliveries to spare. To absorb that level of pressure, in front of a home crowd, with the ICC president in attendance, in a home semi-final, against a team like Australia, took a level of skill and drive seldom seen from Indian cricketers.

And now that Jemimah has ticked off her career-defining innings, she will hope to go one better. 

India likely 11: 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 Radha Yadav, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Renuka Singh 

South Africa likely 11: 1 Laura Wolvaart (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Anneke Bosch, 4 Sune Luus, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 7 Annerie Dercksen, 8 Chloe Tryon, 9 Nadine de Klerk, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba