India Wins 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup Final Over South Africa in Close Match

South Africa's women's cricket team faced heartbreak after losing the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup final to India, despite a strong individual performance by Laura Wolvaardt who scored a century. The South African team dropped crucial catches and lacked sufficient batting support beyond Wolvaardt, which contributed to their defeat against a well-rounded Indian team bolstered by half-centuries from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. India posted a formidable total of 298 for 6, setting a challenging target for South Africa on a pitch that offered some assistance to bowlers. South Africa's captain Marizanne Kapp, despite a career-best bowling performance in the semifinal, went wicketless in the final, and the team was unable to capitalize on their chances in the field. Coach Mandla Mashimbyi highlighted the team's growth and resilience throughout the tournament, emphasizing the positives despite falling short in the final. Overall, South Africa was outplayed by a stronger Indian side who seized their opportunity to win the title, leaving the South African team to reflect on what might have been.