Harmanpreet Kaur and the Indian team are on the cusp of a historic feat, set to face South Africa in the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 final at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The match has been delayed due to heavy rain and a damp outfield, with a prompt start unlikely. Despite the weather, the stands are filling up with a massive crowds expected to back the home team.
India's journey to the final was turbulent, including losses to all three other semifinalists in the league stage. Harmanpreet recalled the emotions and tears after knocking out Australia in the semi-final, stating, “I’m a very emotional person, and I cry a lot... Overcoming that hurdle was very special for all of us.” She maintained that the team never "shook" despite setbacks: "Even after the three big losses, the team didn’t shake even once... we all had that one goal in mind and approached it positively."
South Africa, making their first-ever appearance in an ODI final, are banking on the pressure of the home crowd to work in their favor. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt, the World Cup’s highest run-getter with 470 runs, acknowledged the environment: "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 favor a bit.” Wolvaardt stressed that knockout cricket is different, stating, “Every cricket game starts at zero. We can’t bring any history into the game.”
India’s focus will be on breaking the quality opening partnership of Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, who have two 100-plus stands this tournament. With Wolvaardt coming off of an 169 in the semi-final, getting her out early is critical. India must also contend with a varied South African bowling attack, including the left-arm spin duo of Nonkululeku Mlaba and Chloe Tryon, a weakness India displayed earlier in the tournament. On the South African side, veteran all-rounder Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk, who previously exposed India's death bowling woes, are X-factors.
However, India's edge lies in the consistency of their spinners and the opposition’s vulnerability to collapses. South Africa’s two league-stage defeats were marked by poor batting displays, suggesting that the left-arm spin duo of Sree Charani (13 wickets in 8 matches) and Radha Yadav could have pivotal roles. India's vice-captain, Smriti Mandhana, also approaches a major milestone, needing just 52 runs to become the second Indian woman to reach 1,000 runs in Women's ODI World Cups
For Harmanpreet, who led India to the final in her first 50-over showpiece as skipper, the mood is one of focused confidence: “We know how it feels to lose, but we are really looking forward to seeing how it feels to win. Hopefully, this day will be special for us.” While Laura would look to lead a team eager to rewrite history, having previously lost a T20 World Cup final at home.
All eyes now remain on the skies and the outfield, hoping the rain ceases to allow the two evenly matched teams to battle for their maiden world title.