NAVI MUMBAI, India (Reuters) -The Women's Cricket World Cup is set to crown a new champion on Sunday, when hosts India take on South Africa, as both teams look to culminate their month-long, nine-match campaign with a maiden global championship.
India are two-time finalists in the One-Day International world championship, having lost the 2005 and 2017 titles to Australia and England. They also lost the Women's Twenty20 World Cup final to Australia in 2020.
South Africa are playing a World Cup final for the third year in a row, having reached the T20 World Cup finals in 2023 and 2024, losing to Australia and New Zealand. However, this is the first time they have reached a World Cup final in the 50-over format.
"We know very well how it feels like after losing. But the feeling after victory, that is something which we are really looking forward to," India captain Harmanpreet Kaur told reporters on Saturday.
India reached the semis as the fourth-best team in the league stage. But Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues helped India pull off the biggest successful chase in women's ODI history on Thursday, stunning seven-time champions and favourites Australia to reach the final.
South Africa, who beat India in the league stage last month, earned a dominant 125-run win over four-time champions England in Wednesday's semi-final, as captain Laura Wolvaardt put in a player-of-the-match performance, scoring 169 off 143 balls.
"The whole crowd is behind India, probably a sold-out stadium. It definitely puts a lot of pressure on them as they're sort of expected to win. I think it plays in our favour a bit," Wolvaardt said.
"Every cricket game starts at zero. We can't bring any history into the game. Knockout cricket is completely different from league cricket. People can do some very special things in knockout games like Jemimah the other night."
HIGH STAKES
Kaur said India have been preparing for the opportunity to play in the World Cup final for the last two years.
"Last time we played in the World Cup final, we saw many changes in the sport back home. Women's cricket took many steps forward, a lot of girls flocked to the grounds," said the 36-year-old.
"I'm sure, when we win the final, there will be even more changes. We will see much more cricket, not only at the international level, but domestically things will improve as well."
For South Africa, who have never won a World Cup in men's or women's cricket, the stakes are high as well.
"We recently got domestic contracts introduced. So, I can only imagine what something like a World Cup trophy will do back home. Just the number of girls that will be able to see it on TV, who will hear that we're a World Cup-winning nation," Wolvaardt said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
