Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 final: Skipper Wolvaardt says pressure on India could work in South Africa’s favour
A crowd of more than 35,000 drowned Australia out of the semifinal of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium a few days ago. Expect nothing different when South Africa walks into the venue for the first time in its campaign, in the final against the home team, no less.
“How do you plan to silence the crowd?” a reporter sincerely asked skipper Laura Wolvaardt. With the sheepiest of chuckles, she shot back: “Hopefully we win!”
“The whole crowd is behind India, probably a sold-out stadium. It definitely puts a lot of pressure on them as they’re sort of expected to win. I think it plays in our favour a bit,” she said ahead of the summit clash.
The Proteas are clear about wiping the slate of results from this edition and past records – good and bad – ahead of their first-ever appearance in an ODI final.
“Every cricket game starts at zero. We can’t bring any history into the game. Knockout cricket is completely different from league cricket. People can do some very special things in knockout games like Jemimah (Rodrigues) the other night.”
Any South African one meets around the team sees the similarities between India and the Proteas in being at the cusp of history. But quickly, a line comes, “But South Africa needs it more.”
“(A World Cup win) will be really special for the women’s game back home. We recently got domestic contracts introduced. So, I can only imagine what something like a World Cup trophy will do back home. Just the number of girls that will be able to see it on TV, who will hear that we’re a World Cup-winning nation.”
Published on Nov 01, 2025
