Women’s World Cup 2025: Laura Wolvaardt Wants to ‘Silence’ Indian Crowd in World Cup Final, Just Like Pat Cummins
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt says her team hopes to “silence” the Indian crowd by beating India in the Women’s ODI World Cup final, echoing Pat Cummins’ 2023 remark.
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has set the tone ahead of Sunday’s Women’s ODI World Cup final against India, saying she hopes her team can “silence” the home crowd, just like Pat Cummins did during the men’s final last year in Ahmedabad.
Speaking to reporters at the DY Patil Stadium on the eve of the big clash, Wolvaardt said her team is eager to create history by lifting their first-ever World Cup title.
“It’s going to be a very tough game with the whole crowd behind India. It will probably be a sold-out stadium. But that also brings pressure for them,” she said with a smile. “Hopefully, we win. I guess that will silence them.”
Her comment instantly reminded fans of Cummins’ famous pre-match remark ahead of the 2023 World Cup final, when the Australian skipper had said he wanted to “silence 100,000 Indian fans” and went on to do just that.
Wolvaardt, who has been in outstanding form throughout the tournament with over 470 runs, said her side is not thinking about past results.
“Knockout cricket is very different from league games. We’ve seen players do some special things under pressure. We just want to play good cricket and stay calm,” she said.
The 25-year-old admitted that India, boosted by home support and recent form, will be tough to beat. However, she believes her players have learned to handle pressure and are ready for the challenge.
“It’s important to stay in the moment. There’ll be noise and nerves, but it’s still just a game of cricket. The team that does the basics better will come out on top,” she added.
