Match: 18th Match (Day-Night), ICC Women’s World Cup 2025
Teams: Sri Lanka Women vs South Africa Women
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM Local Time (15:00 LKT)
Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Match Type: 50-over game (Day-Night)
Session Times: First Session 15:00-18:10, Break 18:10-18:40, Second Session 18:40-22:10
Toss: Not done yet
Match Preview
The 18th match of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 brings an exciting game between Sri Lanka Women and South Africa Women on October 17th at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This match is very important for both teams who want to reach the semi-finals.
Sri Lanka’s Tournament So Far
Sri Lanka have had a tough tournament so far. They lost their first match against India by 59 runs. Their second game against Australia was cancelled because of heavy rain. Then England beat them in the third match. Sri Lanka were bowled out for only 164 runs while chasing 254.
Playing at home in Colombo gives Sri Lanka a big advantage. They know the pitch and conditions well. A win today will keep their semi-final hopes alive.
South Africa’s Strong Form
South Africa are playing very well right now. After losing their first match to England, they have won three games in a row. Their best win was against India. If they win in Colombo, they will have 8 points. This will put them very close to the semi-finals with two more games left to play.
The South African team is in good form. Their batters are scoring runs and bowlers are taking wickets regularly.
Squad Lists and Probable Playing XIs
Sri Lanka Women (Squad – Final XI will be announced at toss)
Source: Official squad list
Squad of 15 players:
- Chamari Athapaththu (c) – batting allrounder
- Anushka Sanjeewani (vc) – wicketkeeper batter
- Kavisha Dilhari – batting allrounder
- Imesha Dulani – batter
- Vishmi Gunaratne – batter
- Achini Kulasuriya – bowler
- Sugandika Kumari – bowler
- Malki Madara – bowler
- Hasini Perera – middle-order batter
- Piumi Wathsala – batting allrounder
- Udeshika Prabodhani – bowler
- Inoka Ranaweera – bowler
- Harshitha Samarawickrama – top-order batter
- Nilakshika Silva – middle-order batter
- Dewmi Vihanga – bowling allrounder
Most Likely XI (our prediction):
Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani
South Africa Women (Squad – Final XI will be announced at toss)
Source: Official squad list
Squad of 15 players:
- Laura Wolvaardt (c) – opening batter
- Anneke Bosch – batting allrounder
- Tazmin Brits – opening batter
- Nadine de Klerk – allrounder
- Annerie Dercksen – allrounder
- Sinalo Jafta (wk) – wicketkeeper
- Marizanne Kapp – allrounder
- Ayabonga Khaka – bowler
- Masabata Klaas – bowler
- Sune Luus – allrounder
- Karabo Meso (wk) – wicketkeeper batter
- Nonkululeko Mlaba – bowler
- Tumi Sekhukhune – bowler
- Nondumiso Shangase – batting allrounder
- Chloe Tryon – allrounder
Most Likely XI (our prediction):
Laura Wolvaardt (c), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Masabata Klaas
Players to Watch
Batters
| Player | Team | Recent Form | Why Watch Them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nilakshika Silva | Sri Lanka | Very Good | She has been Sri Lanka’s best middle-order batter. She scored 75 runs against Bangladesh and a quick 35 runs against India. Her best was 55 runs off just 28 balls against New Zealand |
| Harshitha Samarawickrama | Sri Lanka | Good | She has scored 358 runs in 10 matches with an average of 35.8 |
| Tazmin Brits | South Africa | Excellent | She is the tournament’s top run-scorer with 562 runs in 9 matches. Her average is 80.29 |
| Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa | Very Good | The South African captain has scored 546 runs against Sri Lanka in her career – the third-most by any active player |
Bowlers
| Player | Team | Role | Why Watch Them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inoka Ranaweera | Sri Lanka | Left-arm spinner | She has taken 7 wickets in this tournament – the most for Sri Lanka |
| Achini Kulasuriya | Sri Lanka | Right-arm fast bowler | She will lead Sri Lanka’s fast bowling attack. Very experienced player |
| Nonkululeko Mlaba | South Africa | Left-arm spinner | She has taken 8 wickets in this tournament – the most for South Africa |
| Ayabonga Khaka | South Africa | Right-arm fast bowler | An experienced bowler who can take early wickets and put pressure on batters |
Pitch & Weather Report
Pitch Conditions
The R. Premadasa Stadium pitch is good for batting early in the match. Batters can score runs easily at the start. The average first innings score here is around 288 runs. But as the match goes on, the pitch helps spin bowlers more, especially under the lights at night.
Sri Lanka has played 6 women’s ODI matches batting first at this ground. They crossed 200 runs only twice. Earlier this week, they scored more than 250 runs for the first time at this venue.
Weather Forecast
Rain has been falling in Colombo very often lately. Friday’s weather forecast shows more rain is expected in the afternoon and evening. October in Colombo is usually hot and humid with temperatures around 28-30°C. There is a good chance of rain showers during the match.
Head-to-Head Record
South Africa have been the better team historically. They have won 16 matches out of 25 games between these two teams. Sri Lanka has won 6 matches, and 3 games had no result.
The most recent matches were in April-May 2025 during the Tri-Nation Series in Sri Lanka. Both teams won one match each, showing they are evenly matched right now.
What to Expect
This match is very important for both teams. South Africa are playing with confidence after winning three games in a row. If they win today, they will almost confirm their place in the semi-finals. Sri Lanka need to win at home to keep their tournament hopes alive.
The team that wins the toss might choose to bowl first. This is because the pitch has more movement early on, and it’s easier to chase runs later in the evening when conditions are more stable. However, rain could interrupt the match and change team plans.
The battle between Sri Lanka’s spin bowlers on their home ground and South Africa’s strong batting lineup will be exciting to watch. Chamari Athapaththu needs only 12 more runs to reach 4000 runs in ODI cricket. She also needs 4 more wickets to reach 50 ODI wickets. These personal records add extra motivation for the Sri Lankan captain.
Prediction
Based on recent form, South Africa are the favorites to win this match. They have won their last three games and have a well-balanced team. However, Sri Lanka have the home advantage and know the conditions better. If rain stays away and Sri Lanka’s top batters score well along with their spinners, they can definitely win.
Expected Winner: South Africa Women (60-40)
Key Factor: Weather and the toss decision