Proteas Women star Laura Wolvaardt soars to No 1 ranking and named captain of World Cup XI

Proteas Women's captain Laura Wolvaardt's star continues to soar after she was named captain of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Team of the Tournament.

Wolvaardt has also risen to the No. 1 spot in the ICC's ODI batting rankings for women, surpassing India's Smriti Mandhana

The elegant batter is joined by her teammates Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk, who all played a prominent role in the Proteas reaching a first-ever ICC Women's World Cup final.

Wolvaardt topped the run-scoring charts with a record 571 at an outstanding average of 71.37 the leading individual run-scorer at an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – including majestic, back-to-back centuries in the semi-final and final.

Kapp takes her place in the side after another strong showing with bat and ball, scoring two half-centuries and taking 12 wickets. That tally featured 5/20 against England in the semi-final, which helped her become the leading wicket-taker in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history. She also moved up to No 2 on the ICC ODI Women's bowling rankings.

De Klerk also had an impressive all-round tournament, her unbeaten 84 from 54 balls helped her side down India in the league stage, while she also chipped in with nine wickets.

World Cup winners India also have three representatives in the side with Mandhana joined by the Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma, the competition’s leading wicket-taker who took a magnificent 5/39 in the final, and top-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues.

Mandhana, who reached three figures herself against New Zealand in the league stage, finished the tournament with 434 runs at an average of 54.25.

Rodrigues struck a brilliant century in the semi-final to dethrone six-times champions Australia, who have Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland and Alana King in the XI.

Two English players – captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone – and Pakistan’s wicket-keeper Sidra Nawaz complete the squad.

Ecclestone completes the 11 after taking 16 wickets at 14.25 apiece, including four-wicket hauls against Sri Lanka and South Africa, while her skipper Sciver-Brunt, who contributed 262 runs and nine wickets, is selected as 12th player following an excellent first World Cup as captain.

Nawaz takes the gloves after three catches and four stumpings for Pakistan, including a terrific take down the leg side to dismiss Harmanpreet Kaur against India and lightning quick reflexes to whip the bails off and remove Kim Garth in her side’s clash with Australia.

The selection panel consisted of commentators Ian Bishop, Mel Jones and Isa Guha, Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events and Corporate Communications) and Estelle Vasudevan (Journalist Representative).

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Team of the Tournament

Smriti Mandhana (India), Laura Wolvaardt (c) (South Africa), Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Ashleigh Gardner (Australia), Deepti Sharma (India), Annabel Sutherland (Australia), Nadine de Klerk (South Africa), Sidra Nawaz (w) (Pakistan), Alana King (Australia), Sophie Ecclestone (England). 12th player: Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)