We are set to witness the Indian Women (IND W) taking on the South African Women (SA W) in the final of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Both teams have worked hard to reach the Women’s WC 2025 Final, and now one thing is for sure that there will be a new Women’s ODI WC winner in the IND W vs SA W final. Today, we will preview the IND W vs SA W final, looking at both teams’ road to the finals, expected playing XIs, strength and weakness, head-to-head record, players to watch out for, pitch and weather report, and who are the favourites to win the final? So let’s begin.
IND W vs SA W Final: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025
The IND W vs SA W final is set to take place at the DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, on November 02, 2025. India Women won the semifinal against Australia Women, while South Africa Women defeated England Women in the semifinal to reach the Women’s WC 2025 Final. The game will start at 3:00 PM Local Time, and the toss will take place at 2:30 PM Local Time.
India Women’s Road to the WC 2025 Final
India’s Women’s road to the final was a roller coaster ride. They started their campaign with two back-to-back wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. But, they went on to lose three back-to-back close games against South Africa, Australia, and Women. The games that Team India lost were close ones, and they were not able to win crucial moments. At one stage, it looks like there will be curtains off for the IND W team in the tournament. But, they registered a thumping win against New Zealand, and their fixture against Bangladesh ended in a no result.
Now, they have to conquer the biggest challenge in the tournament, beating the giants – Australia in the knockout game. The Aussies batted first and put on 338 on the board, asking India to chase down the highest total in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup semifinal or any knockout game. With the whole batting effort, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, India gets over the line in a run chase with 5 wickets in hand and 9 balls remaining. They will play the 3rd final of the Women’s ODI WC, having played in 2005 and 2017 as well.
South Africa Women’s Road to the Final
It is an inspiring story of the South African women’s team to reach the final of the ODI WC. After getting thrashed by England Women, they went on to reach the final of the tournament. They lost against ENG W by 10 wickets, after getting all out for 69 in the first inning. Captain Laura Wolvaardt said after the game that ‘we are a better team than 69 all out’. Then, SA W went on to win 5 back-to-back games to qualify for the semifinal. They lost their last league stage fixture against Australia, but their biggest challenge was to win a semifinal against England. In the big semifinal, captain Laura Wolvaardt led from the front and played a gem of an inning (169), allowing her team to put a big total of 319 on the board.
England did not even come close to the SA W target. They lost the game by 125 runs, and now we are set to witness the IND W vs SA W final on November 02. SA W won some close encounters in the league stage, which shows their character and gives them huge confidence going into the all-important ODI WC 2025 final. It will be the first time that the SA W will play the ODI WC final.
ALSO READ: ICC Women’s ODI WC Winners (All Editions)
IND W vs SA W Head-to-Head Record (ODIs)
As of now (before the final), India and South Africa Women have played a total of 34 ODIs against each other. India has an edge over South Africa with 20 wins. SA has also managed to win 13 games, while one game between the two teams ended in no result. In the last encounter, SA W won a close-fought game while chasing a target of 252. Nadine de Klerk played an outstanding inning of 84 runs off 54 balls to win the game.
IND W vs SA W Final: Strengths and Weaknesses
Now, let’s have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.
India’s Strength
India’s strength lies in its batting. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, along with Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, are all in good nick. Smriti is scoring runs consistently in the tournament. Jemimah and Kaur have just played crucial knocks in the semifinal against Australia.
In the bowling department, they are filled with quality spinners like Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and Radha Yadav. Their spinners can control the game, especially in the middle overs.
India’s Weakness
A slight weakness in India is the lack of an experienced pace battery. Renuka Singh Thakur is a spearhead, but she has not picked up as many wickets as the other teams’ pacers. She will also need support from others like Kranti Goud, Amanjot Kaur, and Arundhati Reddy, who are struggling to take regular wickets with the new ball.
Another slight weakness is the exclusion of Pratika Rawal from the top order due to injury. India’s top order, apart from Smriti, has not fired as per the expectations. India needs a good start from their top order to put early pressure on the Proteas women in the final.
South Africa’s Strength
South Africa’s top order, especially the top order, is doing well in this tournament. Their captain, Wolvaardt, is the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 470 runs. Players like Marizanne Kapp (batting + bowling), Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, and Nadine de Klerk provide multiple roles. This gives the team balance and allows tactical flexibility.
Another thing to notice is how the SA Women have come back in some close encounters in the tournament. They have won some close games in the tournament. Their last clash against India is a perfect example of that.
South Africa’s Weakness
SA’s middle order hasn’t fired out consistently. When early wickets fall, the middle order has shown vulnerabilities, particularly in big chases or against strong bowling attacks. Also, their batters are not as comfortable against spin as they are against the pacers. India has a few quality spinners to challenge them in the final.
ALSO READ: Indian Cricket Moments: When Abbas Did the Ben Stokes
Expected Playing XI of Both Teams
Both teams will look to go with the same team that played in the semifinals against England and Australia. There is an old saying that ‘Don’t fix what isn’t broken’.
India Women’s Expected XI- Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur.
South Africa Women’s Expected XI – Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
Pitch and Weather Report: IND W vs SA W Final WC 2025
The pitch at the DY Patil is a good one to bat on. We have seen some big scores at this ground in this tournament. Even in the two semifinals, we saw 3 300+ scores out of 4 innings. There might be some early moments at the start, but as the game progresses, you can expect some big runs with dew also setting in. Considering the dew factor, teams might look to chase down, but it is ‘THE FINAL’, and the pressure has got the better of you. It will be interesting to see if either of the two captains will look to bowl first after winning the toss.
As far as the weather is concerned, as per the report, there will be some overcast in the morning of the final. The intervals of clouds and sunshine in the afternoon are expected with a passing shower or two. Even if there is rain, it might not have that much of an impact on the result of the game.
Players to Watch Out For
Let us now see the players to watch out for in the IND W vs SA W Final.
India: Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma
Easy one for India, if Smriti plays well, the team will get a good start, and then the middle order batters can cash in. Smriti also plays aggressively, putting the early pressure on the opposition.
In bowling front, Deepti is the 2nd highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far. She has the ability to take wickets at regular intervals. If she finds her rhythm in the middle overs, SA batters have to work hard to get away. Not just with the ball, she can do the damage with the bat later in the inning.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp
Captain Wolvaardt is having a great time in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. She has scored 470 runs in the tournament, coming into the final scoring 169 against ENG W. Wolvaardt has also played a crucial inning against India in the last encounter between the two teams. She will be the key for SA W in the final.
As far as bowling, Marizanne Kapp is in good nick in the last few games for SA W. She has taken a 5-fer against ENG W in the semifinal. Kapp bowls with the new ball and can trouble the Indian batters with her new ball bowling skills.
IND W vs SA W Final: Who are the Favourites to Win the ODI WC Final 2025?
Both teams have done well to be in the position to play the final. At the moment, South African women are looking more potent and, according to us, will start as favourites to win the final. India, on the other hand, has come from behind, and a team that comes from behind is always dangerous. They will also get the support of the home crowd. SA has to bear the pressure, and it is their first-ever ODI WC final. Whatever happens, we are set for a big final on November 02.
What do you think? Who will win the IND W vs SA W Final clash? Comment on your opinion and prediction below. Thank you for reading. Keep following sportschilly.com for the latest updates, news, analysis, stories, features, and more.
FAQs:-
(1) Which team has won the most ODI WC (Women’s)?
A. As of 2025, Australia Women hold the record of winning the most ODI WC titles. They have won 7 titles, with the last one coming in 2022.
(2) How many ODI WC Finals has India Women played so far?
A. The ODI WC 2025 Final is India Women’s third one. They have also played the ODI WC final of 2005 and 2017.
(3) Have the India Women ever won any ICC title?
A. No. As of now, they have not won any ICC title.
(4) Which team has won the first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup?
A. England Women won the first-ever ODI WC in 1973, under the leadership of Rachael Heyhoe Flint.
(5) Which player has scored the most runs in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup history?
A. As of 2025, New Zealand’s Debbie Hockley has scored the most runs (1501) in the tournament’s history.
