India Women’s National Cricket Team vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline

India Women’s National Cricket Team vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline: Complete History & Records

The India women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline has grown from a relatively low-profile World Cup meeting in 1997 into one of the most important rivalries in women’s international cricket.

For much of its early history, India held the advantage. The teams did not meet as frequently as some of women’s cricket’s older rivals, but India gradually established a strong record in both ODI and Test cricket.

Then the balance began to change.

South Africa developed into one of the world’s strongest white-ball teams. Their pace attack became more dangerous, their batting became deeper, and players such as Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp repeatedly delivered against India.

By the 2020s, India vs South Africa Women was no longer simply another bilateral contest.

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India Women vs South Africa Women Timeline: From 1997 to a World Cup Final

South Africa eliminated India from the 2022 Women’s World Cup in a last-ball thriller. India responded with an extraordinary multi-format home performance in 2024. South Africa then defeated India during the league stage of the 2025 Women’s World Cup.

Less than a month later, the two teams met again.

This time it was for the world title.

India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup final, winning their first Women’s ODI World Cup.

The rivalry continued into 2026, when South Africa produced another major response by beating India 4–1 in a five-match T20I series at home before defeating them again at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.

That constant shift in momentum is what makes this timeline worth exploring in detail.

India Women vs South Africa Women Timeline at a Glance

The most interesting feature is the changing balance.

India’s historical advantage remains particularly strong in ODIs and Tests, but South Africa’s rise has made the recent white-ball rivalry significantly more competitive.

India Women vs South Africa Women Timeline: From 1997 to a World Cup Final : The India Women vs South Africa Women Rivalry Begins

The first chapter arrived on 22 December 1997.

India and South Africa met at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna during the Women’s Cricket World Cup.

It was not an ordinary league fixture.

It was a quarter-final.

India won by five wickets and advanced to the semi-finals. Historical records list this match as the first Women’s ODI between the two countries.

That gives the rivalry an unusual origin.

Many international rivalries begin through bilateral tours before eventually reaching World Cups.

India Women vs South Africa Women effectively began with a global tournament knockout match.

The scoring levels of women’s cricket were dramatically different at the time. India’s winning total in that first encounter was only 81/5, something that also illustrates how dramatically the format has evolved.

By 2025, India would make 337/9 against the same opponent in an ODI.

The transformation in scoring mirrors the transformation of the rivalry itself.

2000–2002: The Rivalry Expands

The teams met again in ODI cricket around the turn of the century, but the major development came when India toured South Africa in 2002.

The tour contained multiple ODIs and, importantly, the first Women’s Test between the countries.

The one-off Test was played at Paarl from 19–22 March 2002.

India took control after compiling 404/9 declared in their first innings.

South Africa were dismissed for 150 and were forced to follow on.

India eventually completed a 10-wicket victory.

This established an early pattern in red-ball cricket that has remained intact.

India and South Africa Women have played only three Tests against each other, but India have won all three.

Tests: India’s Most Dominant Format

Women’s Test cricket has been rare, which makes each encounter particularly significant.

The three India-South Africa Tests have taken place across very different eras.

Yet one statistic connects them:

India won all three.

That tiny sample should not be over-interpreted, but the results themselves are clear.

The most spectacular of those Tests would arrive more than two decades after the first.

2014: The Rivalry Enters a More Modern Phase

By 2014, women’s international cricket was becoming more structured.

South Africa toured India for matches across formats, bringing together players who would help define the next era.

The ODI series showed that the gap between the teams was narrowing.

South Africa won the first ODI in Bengaluru by two wickets after restricting India to 114.

India were no longer dealing with an emerging opponent.

South Africa were developing the pace bowling, fielding standards and batting depth that would eventually make them regular contenders at global tournaments.

The same period also brought T20I cricket into the rivalry.

That mattered because the shortest format would eventually become the most evenly contested part of India vs South Africa Women’s cricket.

2017 World Cup Qualifier: Harmanpreet Delivers a Last-Ball Win

One of the rivalry’s most dramatic early finishes came before the 2017 Women’s World Cup.

India and South Africa reached the final of the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Colombo.

South Africa set India 245.

The chase eventually came down to the final over.

India needed nine runs.

With one wicket remaining, Harmanpreet Kaur faced an extremely difficult situation. Only one run came from the first four deliveries.

Then came the decisive moment.

Harmanpreet struck the fifth delivery for six.

India needed two from the final ball.

They completed those two runs and won the tournament with a remarkable last-ball finish.

It was an early example of something that would later become common in this rivalry:

India vs South Africa producing drama when tournament pressure was highest.

2017 Women’s World Cup: South Africa Strike Back

A few months later, South Africa got their response.

India entered their 2017 Women’s World Cup meeting having won their opening four games.

South Africa stopped that run emphatically.

Lizelle Lee scored 92, while captain Dane van Niekerk made 57.

South Africa reached 273/9.

India were then bowled out for 158.

Van Niekerk completed an outstanding all-round performance by taking 4/22, giving South Africa a 115-run victory.

India still recovered to reach the World Cup final later in the tournament, but the result demonstrated South Africa’s growing ability to challenge them at major events.

2018–2019: India Reassert Control

India enjoyed a strong period against South Africa during the following years.

The teams played ODI cricket in South Africa in 2018 before meeting again in India in 2019.

India’s 2019 ODI series was particularly convincing.

They won all three matches.

The results reinforced India’s historical advantage in the 50-over format and showed the depth of a team built around players such as Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami and others.

But South Africa’s biggest breakthrough was approaching.

2021: South Africa Win an ODI Series in India 4–1

The 2021 series represented one of the biggest shifts in the India women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline.

South Africa travelled to India and dominated the five-match ODI series.

They won 4–1.

India’s only victory came in the second match.

South Africa won the other four.

The result mattered beyond the scoreline.

Winning an ODI series in India is difficult because visiting teams have to adjust to different surfaces and conditions. South Africa demonstrated that their batting could adapt.

It was also a sign that the rivalry was moving away from its historical pattern.

India still held the better long-term ODI record.

But South Africa were increasingly capable of winning entire series rather than isolated matches.

2022 Women’s World Cup: A Last-Ball Defeat Ends India’s Campaign

The 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup produced one of the most painful moments in India’s history against South Africa.

India needed a victory to secure a semi-final place.

Batting first in Christchurch, India made 274/7.

Smriti Mandhana scored 71.

Mithali Raj made 68.

Shafali Verma contributed 53.

Harmanpreet Kaur added 48.

It looked like a competitive total.

South Africa’s response was led by Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 80, while Lara Goodall made 49.

But the match remained alive until the final delivery.

Mignon du Preez held her nerve with an unbeaten 52.

South Africa reached 275/7, completing a three-wicket victory on the last ball.

India were eliminated from the tournament.

ICC records from the tournament noted that it was only the second successful chase in Women’s World Cup history completed on the final ball.

The significance was enormous.

It was not merely another South African victory over India.

It ended India’s World Cup campaign.

How the ODI Rivalry Evolved

The ODI record provides perhaps the clearest numerical picture of how the rivalry developed.

Through the 2025 World Cup final, the teams had played 35 Women’s ODIs.

India had won 21.

South Africa had won 13.

One produced no result.

The raw numbers show India’s historical advantage.

But they don’t fully describe the modern rivalry.

South Africa’s victories in 2021, 2022 and the 2025 World Cup league stage carried considerable importance.

India, meanwhile, won the match that mattered most—the 2025 World Cup final.

2024: India Produce a Remarkable Multi-Format Home Campaign

South Africa toured India in June and July 2024 for:

• three ODIs,
• one Test,
• and three T20Is.

The ODIs were played in Bengaluru before the Test and T20Is moved to Chennai.

India dominated the ODI leg.

They completed a 3–0 clean sweep.

Smriti Mandhana was exceptional.

Her three ODI scores were:

Those performances later helped Mandhana earn the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for June.

But the most extraordinary cricket of the tour came in whites.

2024 Chennai Test: India Score 603/6

India’s one-off Test against South Africa began on June 28 in Chennai.

What followed was historic.

India piled up 603/6 declared in their first innings.

Shafali Verma smashed 205 from 197 balls.

Smriti Mandhana scored 149 from 161.

Together, they added 292 for the first wicket.

The numbers were extraordinary.

India’s 2024 Test Batting Leaders

South Africa were dismissed for 266 in their first innings.

They showed considerable resistance after following on, making 373.

But India eventually completed a 10-wicket victory.

Sneh Rana was another central figure.

Her 8/77 in South Africa’s first innings and 10 wickets in the match rank among the standout bowling performances in this rivalry.

The Test also maintained India’s perfect red-ball record against South Africa: three matches, three wins.

2024 T20Is: South Africa Refuse to Fold

The T20I portion of the tour showed why judging this rivalry from the Test and ODI results alone can be misleading.

South Africa won the first T20I by 12 runs.

The second match produced no result.

India then responded spectacularly in the third.

South Africa were dismissed for only 84, and India chased the target without losing a wicket, reaching 88/0 to win by 10 wickets.

The three-match T20I series therefore finished 1–1, with one no result.

This format would soon become increasingly important to the rivalry.

2025: India and South Africa Meet Again in ODI Cricket

The rivalry continued during the 2025 tri-series in Sri Lanka.

India defeated South Africa twice.

On April 29, India won by 15 runs.

On May 7, they won by 23 runs after scoring 337/9, which stands as India’s highest ODI total against South Africa through the end of the 2025 World Cup.

Those results appeared to reinforce India’s ODI advantage.

But the Women’s World Cup would provide a very different challenge.

2025 Women’s World Cup: South Africa Win the League-Stage Thriller

India and South Africa met in Visakhapatnam on October 9, 2025.

India were in serious trouble before Richa Ghosh produced one of her finest ODI innings.

She scored 94 from 77 balls, helping India recover to 251 all out.

India then took control with the ball.

South Africa collapsed to 81/5.

At that stage, India appeared to be heading towards victory.

Laura Wolvaardt resisted with 70.

Chloe Tryon made 49.

Then Nadine de Klerk transformed the match.

De Klerk smashed an unbeaten 84 from 54 balls, including eight fours and five sixes.

South Africa reached 252/7 in 48.5 overs, winning by three wickets with seven balls remaining.

It was one of the best chases of the tournament.

More importantly, it created the backdrop for what happened next.

Both teams progressed deep into the competition.

And eventually, they met again.

This time there would be no league points at stake.

There would be a World Cup trophy.

2025 Women’s World Cup Final: The Biggest Match in the Rivalry

On 2 November 2025, India and South Africa walked onto the field at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.

Neither country had previously won the Women’s ODI World Cup.

One of them was about to become a first-time world champion.

That alone made this the biggest match in the history of the rivalry.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl.

India responded aggressively.

Shafali Verma produced a superb innings of 87.

Smriti Mandhana scored 45.

Deepti Sharma made 58.

Richa Ghosh added a valuable 34 late in the innings.

India finished on:

298/7 from 50 overs.

South Africa needed 299 to become world champions.

Wolvaardt Gives South Africa Hope

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt refused to let the chase disappear.

She scored 101, producing a captain’s innings in a World Cup final.

But India continued taking wickets around her.

Shafali Verma made an unexpected impact with the ball, taking two wickets.

Then Deepti Sharma took control.

She dismissed Annerie Dercksen and later removed Wolvaardt.

Deepti finished with 5/39.

South Africa were bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs.

India won by 52 runs.

2025 World Cup Final — Match Snapshot

It was India’s first Women’s ODI World Cup title.

The result also created an extraordinary contrast with the league-stage encounter.

On October 9, South Africa had chased down India’s total.

On November 2, India successfully defended 298 against the same opponent with the world title on the line.

From 1997 Quarter-Final to 2025 Final

There is an interesting symmetry in the India women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline.

Their first ODI meeting came in a World Cup knockout match.

Twenty-eight years later, their biggest meeting came in a World Cup final.

1997: India beat South Africa in a World Cup quarter-final.

2025: India beat South Africa in a World Cup final.

Between those two matches, women’s cricket changed almost beyond recognition.

The first encounter saw India successfully chase a target below 100.

The 2025 final featured India scoring 298.

The players became fully professional.

Television coverage expanded.

Crowds grew.

Women’s franchise leagues changed player development.

And India-South Africa became a genuine global rivalry.

2026: South Africa Respond With a 4–1 T20I Series Win

Winning the World Cup did not mean India suddenly controlled every format.

South Africa demonstrated that emphatically in April 2026.

India toured South Africa for five T20Is ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

South Africa dominated the series.

Series result: South Africa 4–1 India.

South Africa won the opening three games and secured the series before India responded in the fourth.

Deepti Sharma starred in that Indian victory, scoring an unbeaten 36 before taking a career-best 5/19, her first T20I five-wicket haul.

South Africa nevertheless finished the series emphatically.

Laura Wolvaardt made an unbeaten 92 in the fifth T20I as South Africa won by 23 runs.

The 4–1 result showed just how different the rivalry could look depending on format.

India had become ODI world champions by beating South Africa.

Only months later, South Africa dominated them in a T20I series.

2026 Women’s T20 World Cup: Kapp Leads Another South African Win

The teams were drawn together again at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England.

Their group-stage meeting at Old Trafford produced another South African victory.

India made 158/7.

Marizanne Kapp took 2/27.

South Africa then found themselves under pressure early in the chase, but Kapp delivered with the bat as well.

She scored an unbeaten 81 from 45 balls.

Her partnership with Tazmin Brits shifted the match decisively.

South Africa reached 161/4 in 19.1 overs and won by six wickets.

Once again, Kapp demonstrated why she has been such an important figure in South Africa’s rise.

Why This Rivalry Is Different in Each Format

Looking only at one format produces an incomplete picture.

Test cricket

India have completely controlled the tiny Test sample.

Three matches.

Three Indian victories.

The 2024 Chennai Test produced the most spectacular numbers: 603/6 declared, Shafali’s 205 and Sneh Rana’s ten-wicket match.

ODI cricket

India have the stronger historical record.

Through the 2025 World Cup final:

India – 21 wins

South Africa – 13 wins

No result – 1

India also own the most important ODI victory between the teams: the 2025 World Cup final.

T20I cricket

This is where South Africa’s modern rise becomes much more visible.

The 4–1 home series win in 2026 dramatically changed the recent balance, and South Africa followed it by beating India at the T20 World Cup.

This format has therefore become arguably the most unpredictable part of the rivalry.

Players Who Have Defined India vs South Africa Women

Several generations have contributed to this story.

Mithali Raj

Mithali was central to India’s batting for much of the rivalry’s development.

Her 68 in the 2022 World Cup match almost helped India reach the semi-finals, while her performances across earlier bilateral contests gave India stability through multiple eras.

Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet has experienced almost every phase of the modern rivalry.

She produced the dramatic finish in the 2017 World Cup Qualifier final and later captained India to their first Women’s ODI World Cup title against South Africa in 2025.

Smriti Mandhana

Few Indian batters have enjoyed a period against South Africa like Mandhana’s 2024 series.

She scored:

113
136
90

in the three ODIs before making 149 in the Chennai Test.

That was 488 runs across four innings in the ODI and Test portions of the tour.

Shafali Verma

Shafali’s 205 in the 2024 Test is one of the most memorable individual innings in the rivalry.

Then she produced 87 in the 2025 World Cup final and contributed two crucial wickets.

Deepti Sharma

Deepti has influenced the rivalry with both bat and ball.

Her defining performance came in the 2025 World Cup final:

58 runs + 5/39.

She followed that with a maiden T20I five-wicket haul against South Africa in 2026.

Laura Wolvaardt

Wolvaardt has been one of India’s most persistent problems.

She made 80 in the 2022 World Cup thriller.

She scored 70 in South Africa’s 2025 league-stage victory.

Then she made a century in the 2025 World Cup final.

Even though South Africa lost the final, her 101 under enormous pressure was a defining innings.

Marizanne Kapp

Kapp’s ability to affect matches in multiple disciplines makes her particularly dangerous.

Her unbeaten 81 against India at the 2026 T20 World Cup was another example: she took two wickets before leading South Africa’s chase.

Five Matches That Changed the Rivalry

If the entire timeline had to be reduced to five defining contests, these would stand out.

1. 1997 World Cup Quarter-final

The first ODI between the countries.

India won by five wickets.

It started the rivalry on a global stage.

2. 2017 World Cup Qualifier Final

India’s last-ball victory showed how closely matched the teams were becoming.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s late six was the decisive moment.

3. 2022 World Cup

South Africa won on the final ball and eliminated India.

Few defeats in this rivalry have carried greater immediate consequences.

4. 2024 Chennai Test

India’s 603/6 declared, Shafali’s double century and Sneh Rana’s ten wickets made this the defining red-ball match between the teams.

5. 2025 World Cup Final

Nothing else comes close in terms of stakes.

India 298/7.

South Africa 246.

India won by 52 runs and became world champions for the first time.

Records That Stand Out

Historical Test and ODI records are supported by the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians database.

What Comes Next?

The rivalry is already scheduled to return to South Africa in another major format.

Cricket South Africa has confirmed that India will tour for three ODIs and a one-off Test in December 2026.

The ODI series forms part of the 2025–29 ICC Women’s Championship cycle.

The Test will be played in Gqeberha and will become only the fourth Women’s Test between the two countries.

That creates two particularly interesting storylines.

India will attempt to maintain their perfect Test record against South Africa.

South Africa, meanwhile, will try to turn their recent T20I success into stronger results in the formats where India historically hold the advantage.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did India Women first play South Africa Women?

India Women and South Africa Women first met in a Women’s ODI on 22 December 1997 at Patna during the Women’s World Cup. India won the quarter-final by five wickets.

Who has won more ODIs between India Women and South Africa Women?

India lead the historical ODI head-to-head. Through the 2025 Women’s World Cup final, the teams had played 35 ODIs: India won 21, South Africa won 13 and one match ended without a result.

Who won the India vs South Africa Women’s 2022 World Cup match?

South Africa won by three wickets on the final ball. They chased India’s 274/7 by reaching 275/7, a result that eliminated India from the tournament.

What is India’s highest Test score against South Africa Women?

India scored 603/6 declared in the 2024 Chennai Test. Shafali Verma scored 205 and Smriti Mandhana made 149.

Have South Africa Women ever beaten India Women in a Test?

No. Through the 2024 Chennai Test, India and South Africa had played three Women’s Tests and India won all three.

Who won the 2025 India Women vs South Africa Women World Cup league match?

South Africa won by three wickets. Nadine de Klerk scored an unbeaten 84 from 54 balls to complete the chase after South Africa had slipped to 81/5.

Who won the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup final?

India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai. India scored 298/7 before dismissing South Africa for 246. It was India’s first Women’s ODI World Cup title.

Who was Player of the Match in the 2025 Women’s World Cup final?

Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match after scoring 87 and taking two wickets. Deepti Sharma also produced a huge all-round contribution with 58 and 5/39.

Who won the 2026 India Women vs South Africa Women T20I series?

South Africa won the five-match home series 4–1. They won the first three matches, India won the fourth, and South Africa completed the series with a 23-run victory in Benoni.

Who won India vs South Africa at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup?

South Africa won by six wickets at Old Trafford. Marizanne Kapp scored an unbeaten 81 from 45 balls after earlier taking 2/27.

India Women’s National Cricket Team vs South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team Timeline: Final Takeaway

The India women’s national cricket team vs South Africa women’s national cricket team timeline tells a much bigger story than a simple win-loss record.

It began in Patna in 1997 with a low-scoring World Cup quarter-final.

India established the early advantage.

They won the first ODI encounter and all three Tests played through 2024.

But South Africa gradually developed into a team capable of challenging India consistently across white-ball formats.

The 2021 ODI series was an important turning point.

The 2022 World Cup defeat was devastating for India because it ended their tournament on the final delivery.

Then the rivalry moved into an extraordinary period.

India dominated the 2024 home ODIs and produced a record-breaking Test performance in Chennai.

South Africa responded by beating India during the 2025 Women’s World Cup league stage.

And then came the match that changed the status of this rivalry permanently.

On 2 November 2025, India and South Africa met in a Women’s World Cup final.

Shafali Verma made 87.

Deepti Sharma scored 58 and took five wickets.

Laura Wolvaardt answered with 101.

India eventually won by 52 runs and lifted their first Women’s ODI World Cup trophy.

South Africa responded again in 2026, winning the home T20I series 4–1 and beating India at the T20 World Cup.

That sequence explains why this rivalry has become so compelling.

India have the historical edge.

South Africa have repeatedly challenged it.

And increasingly, their matches are taking place when the stakes are highest.

From a 1997 World Cup quarter-final to a 2025 World Cup final, India Women vs South Africa Women has evolved into one of the defining international matchups of the modern women’s game.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rajani Kant

Cricket Writer & Editor at TeamStats.in

Rajani Kant is a cricket writer and editor at TeamStats.in, covering cricket statistics, team records, player performances, match results and important developments from international cricket. His focus is on presenting cricket information in a clear, useful and easy-to-understand format.

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