The 13th edition of the ICC Women’s World Cup begins in Guwahati on Tuesday with co-hosts India and Sri-Lanka, battling it out in the opener.
India, playing on home soil, will enter the tournament as slight favourites. Still, as Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt has pointed out, this event is far too open for anyone to call early.
South Africa arrives in the subcontinent with a squad that blends youth and experience – a mix that gives them the resilience to handle both the quality of opposition and the brutal nature of the schedule.
The format sees every team play each other once before the semifinals, meaning the Proteas will play all seven group-stage matches in just 23 days. No previous men’s or women’s 50-over World Cup has demanded this type of intensity.
Wolvaardt will be captaining South Africa for the first time in an ODI World Cup. She highlighted this as both a privilege and a responsibility.
Leading up to the tournament, she has spoken about the unique pressures of the format – the longer games, the tactical depth, and the weight of decisions that shape each contest. But she has shown confidence in how the team has grown from past disappointments.
Semifinal heartbreaks in both 2017 and 2022 still sting, yet they also serve as reminders that the Proteas can compete with the best. For this group, reaching a final is no longer a dream but an expectation amongst fans and pundits.
Key to South Africa’s chances will be the balance across their XI.
The experience of Marizanne Kapp – one of the country’s all-time greats – is irreplaceable, particularly in high-pressure moments.
All-rounders Chloe Tryon, Annerie Dercksen, and Nadine de Klerk have all added finishing power to the middle order, a long-time area of concern for South Africa. While Nonkululeko Mlaba’s left-arm spin could be decisive on turning subcontinent pitches.
Add in Ayabonga Khaka’s consistency with the new ball and the reliability of players like Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, and Sune Luus, and the Proteas look well-rounded.
Australia, as ever, remains the benchmark. With seven titles, they are the most successful nation in the history of the competition and will be favourites to make yet another final.
England and New Zealand will also be dangerous, while co-hosts India and Sri Lanka will draw confidence from home conditions.
For Wolvaardt, however, every opponent demands respect. There are no easy games at this World Cup – which is why the Proteas’ mentality will be to take things “one game at a time.”
“I think in a tournament like this, every team is a big team. I think there’s no sort of single team or two that are set up to win it. In these conditions, it really brings a lot of the subcontinent teams into the game, so I think our strategy for the tournament will really just be to take it one game at a time and not think about big names,” Wolvaardt said ahead of the tournament.
South Africa’s fixtures are demanding but offer opportunities to build momentum. After opening against England on October 3 in Guwahati, they face New Zealand in Indore, before a high-profile clash with India in Visakhapatnam. Matches against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Australia follow in quick succession, with the semifinals set for October 29 and 30, and the final on November 2.
If South Africa can manage the relentless schedule, lean on their experienced core, and allow their younger players to shine on the biggest stage, this could finally be the campaign that takes them beyond the semifinals.
For Wolvaardt and her squad, belief is no longer the missing ingredient. It’s about execution, composure, and seizing the big moments. And if they do, there is no reason the Proteas cannot make history at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
PREVIOUS WINNERS:
1973 – England
1978 – Australia
1982 – Australia
1988 – Australia
1993 – England
1997 – Australia
2000 – New Zealand
2005 – Australia
2009 – England
2013 – Australia
2017 – England
2022 – Australia
Proteas Fixtures – ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
Friday, 03 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs England (Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati)
Monday, 06 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs New Zealand (Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore)
Thursday, 09 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs India (ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
Monday, 13 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs Bangladesh (ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam)
Friday, 17 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs Sri Lanka (R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
Tuesday, 21 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs Pakistan (R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo)
Saturday, 25 October at 11h30 – South Africa vs Australia (Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore)
Wednesday, 29 October at 11h30 – Semi-final 1 (TBC)
Thursday, 30 October at 11h30 – Semi-final 2 (Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai)
Sunday, 02 November at 11h30 – Final (TBC)
**All times are SAST
