Laura Wolvaardt Does Everything Right Yet Finals Keep Breaking Her Heart

Being the top performer of your team consistently is a great milestone. But these milestones are achieved in order to get the team over the line and win the ultimate final clash. This has not been the case with Laura Wolvaardt lately, as she lost her third final despite giving best throughout the season.

Laura Wolvaardt may have been the unluckiest player right now, as she has not managed to win a single trophy over the last three years. Even in the final match she played for Delhi Capitals in the WPL 2026, her performances went in vain. This adds another heartbreak for Wolvaardt.

It is not just the ICC events where Wolvaardt’s efforts fell short. This has now also been carried over to the Women's Premier League. Although RCB fans are happy with their team winning the trophy yet again, some of them even felt bad for Laura Wolvaardt missing out on another possible trophy win.

1. T20 World Cup 2024

Laura Wolvaardt has been a consistent performer for South Africa across all formats. And she came to the peak of her career in 2024, when South Africa was playing the T20 World Cup 2024. In every match the team played, her performances remained consistent, which helped South Africa to come out dominant.

In the Group stages, South Africa finished 2nd in Group B, which allowed them to earn the semi-final spot. And their opponents were none other than Australia, who are known for their dominance in women's cricket. Australia was restricted to the score of 134 runs.

Opening for the team, Laura Wolvaardt gave them a strong start. She went on to score 42 runs off 37 balls, which helped New Zealand to reach close to the win. Eventually, the team marched into the finals by defeating Australia by 8 wickets. In the final clash, the team went against New Zealand, both teams having an opportunity to give a new champion.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

New Zealand batted first in this game and they went on to score 158 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. The target seemed possible to chase, noting the form of Laura Wolvaardt. But she didn't get the needed support from the other end. Wolvaardt ended the campaign as the highest run scorer, but South Africa lost the final by 32 runs.

2. Women's World Cup 2025

South Africa came close to winning their first ever Women's World Cup in 2025. In the league stages, the team finished at the third spot with 5 wins in 7 matches. Due to their net run rate, they were not able to finish in the top two. And now in the semi-final stages, the team went against England.

Laura Wolvaardt continued her dominant form even in this game. She went on to score 169 runs off 143 balls, with 20 fours and 4 sixes. South Africa was able to post 319 runs on the board, which was a massive target for England to chase. The team fell short by 125 runs, as South Africa once again marched into the finals of the tournament.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

In the final game, the team went against India, the hosts of the tournament. India was batting first and the team posted 298 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. It was once again Laura Wolvaardt's show, as she went on to score 101 runs off 98 balls. But it was not enough to take the team to the win, as South Africa lost by 52 runs. Wolvaardt ended the campaign with 571 runs in 9 innings as the top scorer.

3. WPL 2026

And now continuing the streak, Laura Wolvaardt entered the Women's Premier League. This time she was a part of Delhi Capitals, a team which is known for reaching the finals but never winning it. The team didn't start the season well, but some wins in the Vadodara leg helped them to finish third in the league stages.

In the Eliminator game, the team went against Gujarat Giants. While the bowlers did their job well, it was time for the batters of Delhi to chase the score and reach another final. Wolvaardt scored 32 runs and remained not out, which helped Delhi to chase down the total and reach the finals against RCB.

The same final which took place in 2024 was repeated, and the result also remained the same. Delhi batted first in this game, and the team scored 203 runs, as Wolvaardt contributed 44. But RCB chased down the total with 2 balls remaining, making it another final loss for Laura Wolvaardt.