Snapshot
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Laura Wolvaardt (SA-W, 2025 Women’s WC): 571 runs in 9 innings, avg 71.38, SR 98.79, tournament’s leading run-scorer; centuries in both the semifinal and the final; captaining South Africa.
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Rohit Sharma (IND, 2023 Men’s WC): 597 runs in India’s 2023 campaign; captained an unbeaten side to the final with a hyper-aggressive power-play blueprint.
Why the comparison fits
1) Run-mountains from the top
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Both opened the batting and set the tone with intent.
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Wolvaardt’s 571 at ~99 SR is elite in women’s ODIs; Rohit’s 597 came via relentless high-tempo starts in 2023.
2) Captain’s template
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Each was captain and the centerpiece of their team’s batting model—front-foot dominance, pressure on new-ball attacks, and a license to keep the tempo high even in big games.
3) Big-game pedigree
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Wolvaardt: tons in both the semifinal and the final—an ultra-rare Men’s/Women’s WC feat.
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Rohit: repeated statement power-plays all tournament (India were rampant through the league stage and semifinal), creating decisive early leads.
4) Consistency + acceleration
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Wolvaardt combined 11 fours & a six in the final hundred and was India’s main headache in the chase; her campaign average over 70 shows repeatability.
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Rohit’s 2023 run-stack was built on frequent 30-50 power-play blitzes that broke games early.
Side-by-side at a glance
| Metric | Laura Wolvaardt (2025) | Rohit Sharma (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Opener & Captain | Opener & Captain |
| Runs | 571 | 597 |
| Innings | 9 | 11 (tournament total) |
| Average | 71.38 | — |
| Strike rate | 98.79 | — |
| Knock-out impact | 100 in SF and 100 in Final | Match-shaping starts through SF; into the Final |
| Team arc | SA-W led by LW into the title clash | India led by Rohit to the final |
The through-line
Both campaigns show how a fearless, attacking opening captain can redefine a World Cup: they compress opposition plans in the first 10 overs, let middle orders play off a platform, and turn neutral venues into scoreboard pressure cookers. Wolvaardt’s 2025 run now sits in the same modern WC archetype that Rohit authored in 2023—volume plus velocity, from ball one, on the biggest stage.
