Mainstay: All-rounder Kapp’s contributions with the bat will be vital for South Africa.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Gone are the days when World Cups were a two-horse race between Australia and England. With semifinal finishes in the last two editions, the Proteas have all the elements and the spunk to give the format’s Goliaths a run for their money.
Led by the elegantly devastating opening bat Laura Wolvaardt, 10 players of this squad featured in the 2022 edition. The outfit has a healthy sprinkling of potent all-rounders, from the experience of Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon to young Annerie Dercksen, who scored a sublime century against Sri Lanka in the tri-series also featuring India in May.
The in-form top two of Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits have amassed an enviable 1536 runs together in this cycle and offer the Proteas a much-needed cushion against other teams with formidable batting barrels. While the middle order has been finding form in patches, the Proteas will hope that luck and execution click together during their campaign in the subcontinent. The side is susceptible to depending too much on its top order and with unfamiliar conditions, particularly across the Indian venues, the middle order needs to carry much more of the load.
The 2017 and 2022 World Cup cycles featured a South African atop the wicket-taking charts (Luus and Shabnim Ismail respectively). The nation not topping charts this time not only points to transitions in roles and personnel but the lack of equally lethal alternatives.
With all teams focusing on their spin armaments, the experience of Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tryon — a seasoned campaigner in Indian conditions — will hold the side in good stead. Being a stingy fielding side is an added bonus.
The realisation of South Africa’s promise will depend on whether its young legs can walk a mile in the path of the side’s legends. Only then can this prodigal dark horse truly step into its moment in the sun.
The squad:
Laura Wolvaardt (Capt.), Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase.
South Africa’s fixtures:
Oct. 3: England (Guwahati); Oct. 6: New Zealand (Indore); Oct. 9: India (Visakhapatnam); Oct. 13: Bangladesh (Visakhapatnam); Oct. 17: India (Indore); Oct. 21: Pakistan (Colombo); Oct. 25: Australia (Indore).
Impact Player
Workload concerns have stolen overs aplenty from Marizanne Kapp’s kitty but the feisty all-rounder has compensated with stellar contributions with the bat. One of only three South African batters to manage 1000 runs or more in this cycle, Kapp has three hundreds and six fifties to her name. In testing subcontinental conditions, her grit and gumption will be vital for the Proteas
Published – September 26, 2025 11:12 pm IST
