India lead head-to-head record 20-13 against South Africa
India playing their third final, while Proteas in title round for first time
Laura Wolvaardt, Smriti Mandhana first and second in run-scoring charts
It's a blockbuster India vs South Africa clash in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 final at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, on Sunday, November 2. South Africa thrashed four-time winners England by 125 runs in the first semi-final, while India knocked record seven-time champions Australia out with a five-wicket win.
The semi-finals witnessed multiple noteworthy individual performances. For South Africa, captain Laura Wolvaardt played a match-winning knock (169 off 143) to help post 319/7, then Marizanne Kapp claimed a five-wicket haul (5/20) in seven overs.
In the high-scoring India vs Australia semi-final, Phoebe Litchfield hit 119 off 93 for the defending champions, but Jemimah Rodrigues responded with a career-defining knock, 127 not out off 134, to anchor the successful chase.
Before Sunday's India vs South Africa final, here are five key things you must know:
1. Both Teams Chase Maiden Title
India and South Africa have never won the ICC Women's ODI World Cup. India, the two-time runners-up, are in the final for the first time since 2017. They lost to Australia in the 2005 final by 98 runs — dismissed for 117 all out while chasing a 216-run target.
In the 2017 final, India suffered an agonising nine-run defeat after restricting England to 228/7. With Poonam Raut (86 off 115) and Harmanpreet Kaur (51 off 80) stitching a 95-run stand for the third wicket and Veda Krishnamurthy (35 off 34) adding 53 with Raut, India were in control, but Anya Shrubsole's 6/46 proved decisive.
South Africa, meanwhile, qualified for their maiden final after three semi-final defeats — 2000, 2017, and 2022.
In the 2000 semis, the Proteas handed Australia a nine-wicket win, and came second best to England in the 2017 and 2022 editions, losing by two wickets and 137 runs, respectively.
2. India Women Vs South Africa Women ODI Head-To-Head Record
This marks the 35th meeting between the two teams in Women's ODI cricket. India lead the head-to-head record 20-13 with one no result.
But South Africa won their most recent meeting, during the group stage of this World Cup, by three wickets at Visakhapatnam, snapping India's five-game winning streak. Chasing a 252-run target, the Proteas were struggling at 81/5 in the 20th over, but Nadine de Klerk's unbeaten 54-ball 84 sealed the win.
The high and low totals in this match-up are 337/9 by India in May 2025 and two 80 all-outs for South Africa in December 1997 and March 2005. South Africa's highest total against India is 321/6 in June 2024, while India's lowest total is 114 all out in November 2014.
3. Players To Watch Out For And Key Battles
Laura Wolvaardt leads the scoring charts with 470 runs at an average of 67.14, while India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (389 at 55.57), also an opener, is second. Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur for India; Tazmin Brits, Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk are others who can score big and change the course of the final.
On the bowling front, India's Deepti Sharma (17 wickets) and fellow spinner Shree Charani (13) will be hard to contain. Also, young pacer Kranti Gaud can rattle any top order. South Africa, a team stacked with all-rounders, will rely mainly on pacer Kapp and spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, both with 12 wickets each. Nadine de Klerk, another pacer, and spinner Chloe Tryon always give their best.
So, the key battles would be between Mandhana's calm and assured presence against Kapp's fiery seam attack, especially in the powerplay; Rodrigues and Kaur's mid-innings anchor against all-round Proteas attack.
Switch the play, and there will be Wolvaardt — if she survives India's early burst — up against the guile of Deepti. Then there are other intriguing match-ups, like Proteas' lower-order batters against what looks like an unsettled Indian bowling attack.
4. Match Officials
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Eloise Sheridan of Australia and Jamaican Jacquline Williams as the on-field umpires for the India vs South Africa final.
"Sheridan and Williams are no strangers to high-pressure matches this tournament - the pair recently oversaw South Africa’s commanding 125-run semi-final victory over England," said ICC in a release. "Joining them in the officiating team are Sue Redfern as Third Umpire, Nimali Perera as Fourth Umpire, and Michelle Pereira as Match Referee."
It's worth noting that the ICC assembled an all-female panel to officiate and conduct the 2025 World Cup, a first in the tournament's history.
5. Road To The Final
India beat Sri Lanka by 59 runs (DLS method), Pakistan by 88 runs, but suffered three successive defeats — by three wickets to South Africa and Australia, by four runs against England. In the virtual quarter-final, the tournament hosts defeated New Zealand. The group-stage engagements ended with a 'no result' against Bangladesh due to rain.
India entered the semi-finals as the fourth-placed side, then played arguably their best game, a humbling of the Aussies. Summing up, India's campaign saw early wins, mid-tournament stumbles, and a strong comeback.
South Africa's campaign, on the contrary, began on a sour note with a shambolic 10-wicket loss to England, dismissed for 69 all out. But they bounced back to beat New Zealand (six wickets), India, Bangladesh (three wickets), Sri Lanka (10 wickets, DLS), and Pakistan (seven wickets). Their group stage ended with another defeat, by seven wickets to Australia after posting just 97.
Despite the ups and downs, the Proteas secured third place and booked a semi-final clash with England, which they won convincingly. In short, their journey to a maiden World Cup final has been defined by wins over lower-ranked sides and losses to former champions.
Considering everything, the India vs South Africa final is a classic in the making, and with both teams chasing their maiden title, the summit showdown is nothing short of historic in women's cricket. Expect a packed house in Navi Mumbai.
