Superstar batter Smriti Mandhana knows how important is the Women's World Cup title for Team India, who will be taking on South Africa in the grand finale at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on November 2. Both India and have delivered a series of excellent performances throughout the competition to secure their spot in the final, setting up a clash between two teams vying for their first major global trophy.
The World Cup is always special: Smriti Mandhana
India’s journey to the summit clash was punctuated by a spectacular performance against Australia Women in the second semi-final. In a memorable contest, a resilient, anchoring knock from Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, combined with a crucial century by Jemimah Rodrigues, saw India successfully knock out the perennial World Cup winners. This historic victory secured the host nation's ticket to the final. Ahead of the title game, India’s vice-captain Mandhana, has taken center stage to share her perspective and reflect on the profound significance of competing in the Women’s World Cup final.
“The World Cup is always special — but a home World Cup is something else altogether. I remember visiting the stadium a couple of months ago for an ad shoot and standing on the balcony thinking, ‘How amazing would it be if we win here on the 2nd?’ Now, that dream is within reach,” Mandhana told Star Sports
My only goal was to do whatever the team needed from me: Mandhana
While reflecting on the excitement of reaching the final, ace India batter and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana also briefly addressed her personal goals for the World Cup. She clarified that, amidst the high-stakes environment of the tournament, her individual focus is entirely centered on the team’s success. Mandhana stated that she is concentrating only on performing the role and delivering the contributions that the team needs from her to achieve their ultimate objective.
“In this World Cup, my only goal was to do whatever the team needed from me. In the past, I came in with personal targets — wanting to score specific runs or achieve certain milestones — but things rarely go exactly as planned. This time, my intention was very clear: to focus on preparation and execution rather than numbers. Personally, the only statistic I want to see is that ‘India has won the 2025 World Cup," she added.
Talking about the match, South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the Women's World Cup 2025 final.
India Women Playing XI:
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur
South Africa Women Playing XI:
Laura Wolvaardt(c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta(w), Annerie Dercksen, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba