The contest between the India Women ‘s National Cricket Team and the South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team has developed into one of the most competitive matches in women’s cricket. The teams have had some never-to-be-forgotten matches between them in ICC tournaments, bilateral series and multi-nation events over several years.
While their battles yawn from the re-entry of South Africa in the international field in late 90s and celebrated India winning its first ICC Women’s World Cup title back in 2025. Here is a full timeline of matches and milestones between India Women vs South Africa Women till 2026.
Overview of the Rivalry
India and South Africa have played Tests, ODIs, T20Is since the late 90s. India have historically had the wood on ODI cricket, whilst South Africa have steadily come into their own in recent years, propelled by the likes of stars such as Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Chloe Tryon and Nonkululeko Mlaba.
The two sides faced off against one another twice in the high-profile ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, including the final, drawing international interest to their rivalry.
India Women vs South Africa Women Timeline
1997 – First International Meeting
- South Africa returned to international women’s cricket after readmission.
- It was the first Women’s ODI between India and South Africa.
- The series launched a rivalry that would carry on for nearly thirty years.
2002 – First Test Series
The biggest milestone so far came when both the teams played Women’s Test cricket.
Key highlights:
- India played South Africa in a protracted multi-day Test game.
- It is a series that paved the way for long-format women’s cricket between the two nations.
- Players including Anju Jain and Mithali Raj started to build the future of Indian cricket.
2005 Women’s World Cup
Rivalry came to the ICC stage during the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Important points:
- India were building into a formidable ODI team.
- Rebuilding South Africa on the women’s path.
- It made the fixture more important in the context of World Cup encounters.
2013–2017: Rise of Professional Women’s Cricket
During this time, both squads experienced a large uptick in performance.
India
Led by Mithali Raj.
- Developed a strong batting lineup.
- Finalist et la Coupe du Monde Féminine 2017
South Africa
- Development of rising stars like Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk
- Became regular ICC semifinal contenders.
2018 – India Women Tour South Africa
India also hosted a major bilateral series in South Africa.
Highlights:
- Competitive ODI and T20I contests.
- India’s spinners dominated several matches.
- International names emerged between the two young talents.
2021 – India Women Tour South Africa
Their limited-overs series was fiercely contested.
Key performers included:
- Smriti Mandhana
- Laura Wolvaardt
- Deepti Sharma
- Shabnim Ismail
India remained a strong outfit, but South Africa showed their recently developed strength at home.
2022 Commonwealth Games Era
A new phase began for women’s cricket.
Both teams:
- Consistently qualified for significant ICC events.
- Developed stronger domestic pathways.
- Gifted match winners and world-class all-rounders.
2023 – T20 World Cup Battles
Most of the rivalry revolved around ICC Women’s T20 World Cup competitions.
Notable developments:
- South Africa was home to all the major events of Women crickets.
- Laura Wolvaardt made her way into the list of some of the top batters in the world.
- They have been batting around Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma all this time.
2024 – India Tour of South Africa
This was by far one of the best chapters in their rivalry.
One-Off Test Match
India achieves a landmark Test win and proves to be in command in red ball cricket.
ODI Series
India had a smart haul with inputs from:
- Smriti Mandhana
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Deepti Sharma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
This series was also reflective of India’s growing depth in Women’s cricket.
2025 – The Biggest Year in the Rivalry
The year 2025 became the defining chapter of India Women vs South Africa Women cricket.
ICC Women’s World Cup Group Stage
- 9 October 2025
South Africa defeated India by three wickets in a thrilling World Cup clash.
| Team | Score |
| India Women | 251 all out |
| South Africa Women | 252/7 |
ICC Women’s World Cup Final – 2 November 2025
The rivalry reached its greatest stage when India and South Africa met in the World Cup final at Navi Mumbai.
| Team | Score |
| India Women | 298/7 |
| South Africa Women | 246 all out |
Result: India won by 52 runs.
Key Performers
| Player | Performance |
| Shafali Verma | 87 runs |
| Deepti Sharma | 5 wickets |
| Laura Wolvaardt | 101 runs |
2026 – South Africa Strike Back
Following the World Cup disappointment, South Africa responded strongly at home.
India Women Tour of South Africa 2026 (T20I Series)
| Match | Winner |
| 1st T20I | South Africa |
| 2nd T20I | South Africa |
| 3rd T20I | South Africa |
| 4th T20I | India |
| 5th T20I | South Africa |
Head-to-Head Record
ODIs Records
| Result | Record |
| Matches | 35 |
| India Wins | 21 |
| South Africa Wins | 13 |
| No Result | 1 |
T20I Records
| Record | India Women | South Africa Women |
| Matches Played | 19 | 19 |
| Won | 10 | 6 |
| Lost | 6 | 10 |
| No Result | 3 | 3 |
| Win Percentage | 62.50% | 37.50% |
Greatest Players in the Rivalry
India
- Mithali Raj
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Smriti Mandhana
- Deepti Sharma
- Shafali Verma
South Africa
- Laura Wolvaardt
- Marizanne Kapp
- Chloe Tryon
- Shabnim Ismail
- Dane van Niekerk
Upcoming India Women vs South Africa Women Matches (2026)
The next major chapter of the rivalry is scheduled during India’s tour of South Africa in December 2026. The tour includes three ODIs and one Test match.
| Date | Match | Venue |
| 9 Dec 2026 | 1st ODI | Potchefstroom |
| 12 Dec 2026 | 2nd ODI | Bloemfontein |
| 15 Dec 2026 | 3rd ODI | Cape Town |
| 20 Dec 2026 | One-Off Test | Gqeberha |
Conclusion
The India Women vs South Africa Women rivalry has turned from a low-key international fixture to one of the most entertaining battles in women’s cricket. Whether it was their first encounters in the late 1990s as developing cricketing nations, or through to the unforgettable ICC Women’s World Cup Final of 2025, and South Africa’s emphatic comeback of a year later – both teams have continually set the bar higher for each other.
Superstars like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and the talents such as Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp have ensured that fans can expect plenty more awesome memories in years to come. The 2026 tour shapes to be another compelling chapter in this budding rivalry.