ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final Preview as women’s cricket prepares to crown a new world champion on Sunday.
With no Australia or England in the final, we will have a first-time ICC ODI world champion for certain by the end of Sunday night in Navi Mumbai.
Over the past ten or so years, and even in the past month, the two World Cup finalists have overcome numerous obstacles.
India advanced to the knockout stages without defeating any of the three teams who placed higher on the points table, while South Africa recovered from the humiliation of 69 all out and 97 all out. New heroes and finishers were discovered in South Africa. India recovered from defeats that may have easily been victories.
By the time the two teams reached the knockout stages after travelling across India to Colombo, they encountered their adversary. India thrilled the home fans in Navi Mumbai by defeating the formidable Australians, while South Africa broke the curse against England in Guwahati with a decisive victory.
On Sunday night, a new world champion will be crowned in the first-ever ODI World Cup final that does not include either Australia or England.
Both South Africa and India are on the verge of making history by returning two of the best teams in World Cup history with the task of preparing for the future. In addition to winning the trophy for the first time, the champions have the potential to change the landscape of women’s sports both domestically and internationally.
Deep-seated problems that prevent women from accessing jobs, education, and many other opportunities continue to plague both nations. The event has the potential to make players like Nonkululeko Mlaba and Kranti Gaud, who overcome significant obstacles growing up in underdeveloped areas, household names regardless of the outcome on Sunday.
As seen at the T20 World Cup final last year, Sunday may mark the beginning of a new era in ODIs and give the finalists and other teams watching hope that Australia and England won’t always win World Cup finals. That South Africa and India won’t be burdened by the pressure of the moment, that teams that place third and fourth on the table can also perform better in the knockout stages, and that they can keep igniting a revolution.
In addition to facing the more than 30,000 spectators, South Africa will have to adjust to the environment in Navi Mumbai, where they haven’t played a World Cup match before.
Conversely, India, who haven’t lost there yet, will visit for their fourth consecutive game. However, South Africa will have more time to wipe away their tears of happiness before the match, while India will have less time to gather themselves following an incredible performance against Australia.
When the last women’s World Cup was held in India, the main event was moved to smaller venues for men’s domestic cricket, the prize money was not equivalent to that of the men’s game, and it was difficult to draw large crowds. If the MCG elevated the match in 2020 and the Lord’s final served as the game’s first significant leg up in 2017, Navi Mumbai could be the latest in the sequence to power it to greater heights in 2025, with a fresh script waiting to be written on Sunday.