India will be aiming for a historic victory when they face South Africa in the final of the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. The much-awaited match is scheduled to be held on Sunday (November 2) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
The Women in Blue secured a place in the final with a historic victory over defending champions Australia in the semi-finals. India had their backs against the wall after the seven-time world champions scored a mammoth total of 338.
Only once, in either the semi-finals or the final of the Women’s World Cup, did a team chase a goal of more than 200 points. The odds against Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates were quite high. However, the hosts showed some amazing batting and caught up within 49 total overs.
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Jemima Rodrigues with the bat scored an unbeaten 127 and Harmanpreet scored 89 as India completed their best chase in women’s ODIs.
India is aiming to participate in the World Cup for the first time, and we will introduce the players who will represent India in the upcoming final against South Africa.
India Women’s National Team vs South Africa – Final, ICC Women’s World Cup 2025:
Opening act: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana
Shafali Varma and Smriti Mandhana will be the starters in the final and the onus will be on them to give the team a good start.
Varma was selected in the playing eleven for the semi-final against Australia, making his first appearance in the ongoing World Cup.
She was not part of the original team and was named as a replacement for Pratika Rawal, who suffered an ankle injury. Verma scored 10 goals against Australia and will be looking to score big in the final.
Mandhana will be one of the most important players and will be desperate to contribute with the bat.
The southpaw has shown good rhythm lately and will look to score big. Mandhana has scored two fifties and a century in the last five matches.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Jemima Rodriguez, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amanjot Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (w)
Jemima Rodriguez was India’s star player in their historic victory over Australia. She scored an unbeaten 127 runs and helped India chase 338 runs. Jemima, who has maintained her good form, will be aiming for a big score again.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is just one win away from creating history. She has the chance to become the first national team captain to lead her team to World Cup glory.
She led her team with 89 points in the semifinals and will aim for a similar performance in the title game.
Amanjot Kaur scored an unbeaten 15 off just eight balls and helped India easily chase the total in the end. With the ball, she scored 51 runs in 8 overs and took 1 wicket.
Deepti Sharma, the highest wicket-taker in the ongoing tournament, struggled with bat and ball in the semi-finals. With the ball, she conceded 73 runs in 9.5 overs while taking two wickets en route to scoring 24 runs.
Richa Ghosh made an important cameo appearance with the bat in the last match. She hit two sixes and an equal number of fours in just 16 balls to score 26 points. Richa scored 94 points the last time the Women in Blue faced South Africa in the ongoing tournament and will be looking to make a big impact once again.
Bowlers: Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Chalani, Renuka Singh Thakur.
The Playing XI is likely to have two specialist pacers and a spinner. Renuka Singh Thakur and Kranti Gaud will lead the pace attack while Radha Yadav and Shree Chalani will be the two spinners.
The Bowlers had an unforgettable match against Australia and will be aiming for a better performance in the final.