South Africa hungrier for T20 World Cup win after double heartbreak: Laura Wolvaardt

Laura Wolvaardt said South Africa are more motivated than ever to win the Women’s T20 World Cup after three consecutive ICC final defeats, adding that recent heartbreak has strengthened the team’s hunger and resilience.

Laura Wolvaardt was part of all 3 ICC finals that South Africa lost. Courtesy: PTI

Laura Wolvaardt says South Africa are hungrier than ever to win the Women’s T20 World Cup after suffering several heartbreaks in the ICC final. The Proteas finished as runners-up in 2023 after losing to Australia, before falling again against New Zealand in the 2024 final. Last year, Wolvaardt’s team suffered their third successive ICC final defeat when India beat them in the ODI World Cup final.

Wolvaardt has been a part of all three campaigns, with several of her impressive strikes ending in disappointment. Reflecting on those finals, the captain said the experiences were unforgettable, but added that the painful losses only strengthened South Africa’s motivation to go one step further and finally lift the World Cup trophy.

“Getting to the T20 World Cup final was obviously very special for us as a team, but I think it also pushed us to go one step further,” Wolvaardt wrote in her column for the ICC.

In early March, South Africa suffered a 1–4 series defeat during their tour of New Zealand. However, Wolvaardt and her party fought back strongly secured an impressive 4–1 series win over India at home. Wolvaardt said defeating a powerhouse like India gave South Africa a huge confidence boost.

“The India series was another good test against one of the strongest teams in the world. Winning this series gave the group a lot of confidence, but more importantly it showed the ability and resilience in the team. The players stepped up at different times and that’s something you need in a World Cup,” Wolvaardt added.

PROTEAS REINFORCED WITH BIG NAMES

South Africa were not at full strength during the India series, with Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp unavailable. Van Niekerk was still recovering from a calf injury, while Kapp missed the series due to a lingering illness. Both players are now back and have significantly strengthened the Proteas squad.

Shabnim Ismail also added extra firepower to the bowling attack after retiring from the international pension. South Africa were placed in Group A alongside Australia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Netherlands. They will begin their campaign against Australia on June 13 at Emirates Old Trafford.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

26 May 2026 15:38 IST

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