India vs South Africa Women’s World Cup 2025 Final: Date, time, venue, live streaming and all you need to know

A landmark day awaits women’s cricket as India and South Africa face off for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 title at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. 

The 13th edition of the tournament will crown a new champion — between a third-time finalist and a first-time finalist — both having scripted stirring stories of resilience and belief on their way to the summit clash. The match starts at 3 PM IST and will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.

India’s record-breaking semi-final win over Australia has made them slight favourites, but they will be mindful of the group-stage defeat they suffered against the same South African side earlier in the competition. For the hosts, a victory on home soil could serve as a watershed moment for women’s cricket in India, potentially inspiring a new generation of players much like the advent of the Women’s Premier League did three seasons ago.

In women’s ODIs, India lead South Africa 20-13 in 34 meetings, with one no result. But at the World Cup, the contest is evenly balanced at 3-3. South Africa have held the upper hand in recent tournaments, winning three straight World Cup clashes since 2017, though India have dominated the ongoing ICC Women’s Championship cycle, leading 5-1.

India are expected to retain the same combination that took them to the final. 

The predicted XI for India includes Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani and Renuka Thakur.

South Africa’s predicted XI is Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba.

The red-soil pitch at DY Patil Stadium is expected to offer good bounce and carry early on, before gradually assisting spinners. The surface will be the same one used for India’s high-scoring win against New Zealand, where they put up 340 runs.

However, weather could play a crucial role. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Maharashtra, forecasting light to moderate rain and possible thunderstorms around match time. There is a 63% chance of rain, with the likelihood rising between 4 and 7 PM. A reserve day is in place if the weather disrupts play.