Valiant South Africa stun India with thrilling win in womens World Cup

New Delhi: South Africa kept their nerves till the end to beat India by 3 wickets in their women's World Cup 2025 encounter on Thursday. In what seemed to be a match moving in favour of the Indian women's team, South African batters produced a fabulous show to beat the Indian side in what proved to be a thrilling encounter in the marquee event.

Nadine de Klerk's 84-run unbeaten knock proved to be the game-changer after skipper Laura Wolvaardt scored patient 70 runs for the side in a tough chase while Chloe Tryon contributed with 49 runs. While Wolvaardt and Tryon were dismissed after contributing aplenty for the Proteas women, it was the match-winning knock from Klerk who pushed the Indian bowlers towards the wall in her 54-run innings.

Her power-packed knock included eight boundaries and five massive sixes as she became the spoiler for India batting efforts , especially the knock produced by Richa Ghosh. Ghosh's 94-run brilliant innings had powered India to a big score of 251, which is considered big enough in women's cricket but Indian bowlers disappointed and failed to defend a good score.

Sneh Rana and Kranti Gaud proved to be the pick of the bowlers for the Indian side with two wickets each while Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma also claimed a wicket each.

Earlier in the first innings, it was only Ghosh who took India to a good score as rest of the batters in the camp failed to deliver. Sneh Rana scored 33 runs while Pratika Rawal  contributed 37 runs in the innings where the biggies like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur failed. Chloe Tryon, whom scored with the bat as well, was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets while Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk claimed two wickets apiece.