South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt says her team’s growing consistency on the world stage proves they are on the right path, despite falling short once again in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 final against India. The Proteas, beaten by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai, have now finished as runners-up in three consecutive ICC tournaments — including the 2023 and 2024 Women’s T20 World Cups.
Wolvaardt highlighted the progress made since their first major final on home soil in 2023, noting that domestic contracts and stronger squad depth have transformed the team’s competitiveness. “We’re the team that consistently makes finals now. Hopefully one day we can win one,” she said, expressing optimism for the future.
The captain herself enjoyed a record-breaking campaign, scoring 571 runs at an average of 71.37 — the most by any player in a single Women’s World Cup. Contributions from Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, and Nonkululeko Mlaba further underlined South Africa’s all-round strength.
Despite the heartbreak, Wolvaardt insisted there were plenty of positives to take home. “To make it all the way to the final is really awesome. We’ll look back at this as a successful tournament and build on this momentum going forward,” she said.
