South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has delivered a bold message to Indian fans ahead of the Women’s World Cup 2025 final, making it clear that her team will be aiming to silence the home crowd at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. With India and South Africa set to meet in a historic final that will crown a brand-new world champion, Wolvaardt’s comment has drawn strong attention, especially due to its similarity to an iconic statement from recent cricket history.
In the pre-match press conference, Wolvaardt was asked whether she hoped to quieten the Indian supporters, who are expected to make up more than 90 percent of the stadium attendance. Her response struck a confident tone and immediately reminded fans of Pat Cummins’ remarks before the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where he had said Australia wanted to “silence” the crowd, a goal achieved when Australia lifted the trophy. When questioned about a similar scenario, Wolvaardt simply replied, “Hopefully we win. I guess that will silence them. Yeah.”
The final comes at a time when the rivalry between India and South Africa in the Women’s World Cup is perfectly balanced. The head-to-head record stands even at 3-3, though the momentum has shifted over the years. India had dominated the initial encounters, winning the first three matchups. However, South Africa have taken charge since then, claiming the last three meetings to level the record. Notably, India have not defeated South Africa in the Women’s World Cup since 2005.
In the current tournament as well, South Africa have already beaten India once, with Nadine de Klerk playing a pivotal role in that result. Despite this advantage, Laura Wolvaardt emphasized that her team will not be relying on past history in Sunday’s final. “Yeah, we’re trying not to think too much about the past at all, I think. Yeah, like I said before, every cricket game starts at zero. We can’t sort of bring any of our history into this game. Whether it would be finals that we’ve lost or games that we’ve won against India, we’re just really trying to erase all of that stuff and start completely afresh in this game. Yeah, I think there’s big pressure on both teams to perform, and I think whoever stays the calmest under that pressure is going to most likely come out on top tomorrow,” she said.
South Africa’s path to the final has also shaped their confidence. They began the tournament with a dominant 10-wicket victory over England and, despite finishing third in the league stage, produced a strong semifinal performance to once again defeat Nat Sciver-Brunt’s England side. This win secured their first ever appearance in a Women’s ODI World Cup final, offering them the chance to make history .
