Women's World Cup Final: Marizanne Kapp Is Married To South Africa's Ex-Captain, Dane Van Niekerk

South Africa's women's cricket team has finally ended the drought after reaching the final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup for the first time in their history. The star-studded team dismantled England in the semi-final by 125 runs in Guwahati. The South African team made a gigantic score of 319 on seven wickets, courtesy of their captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who rose to the occasion and hit 169 runs. On the batting front, Wolvaardt made sure there's no margin for errors.

Women's World Cup 2025 final: Marizanne Kapp breaks Jhulan Goswami's record, South African bowler will be a major threat for the Indian women's team in the final

On the other side, in the bowling department, it was their team's star bowler, Marizanne Kapp, who took five wickets and gave only 20 runs. The semi-final win against England was a historic feat for the South African women's cricket team, but for Marizanne Kapp, the victory tasted a bit sweeter. For the uninitiated, Marizanne broke the long-standing record of iconic Indian bowler, Jhulan Goswami after taking five wickets against England.

The South African bowler, Marizanne Kapp, sits on top with most wickets (44) in Women's World Cup history, while Jhulan Goswami shifts to second position with 43 wickets. Well, this update to the World Cup record has spiced up the final, as India is waiting for Marizanne and her team. After beating Australia by five wickets in the semi-final, India reached its third final since 2005 and 2017. No wonder India will be eyeing the trophy and becoming the fifth country to win the title as hosts.

India vs South Africa: Women's World Cup final at DY Patil will finally give us a new champion apart from New Zealand, England, and Australia

The much-awaited final of the ICC Women's World Cup at Mumbai's DY Patil Sports Academy is going to be a cracker as both teams are eyeing their first World Cup trophy. Both sides are equipped with exceptional batters and brilliant bowlers who can turn the game in their teams' favour. Talking about individual brilliance, Marizanne Kapp is going to be a headache for the Indian team as her 5-20 inning against a top-notch side like England is the second-best bowling figure in the World Cup so far. However, no matter which side lifts the trophy, it will be their first, and we will finally have a new champion other than the big three, Australia, New Zealand, and England.

Marizanne Kapp is married to Dane Van Niekerk, who is a former captain of South Africa's women's cricket team

Marizanne Kapp is indeed one of the must-watch players in the Women's World Cup final between South Africa and India on Sunday. However, apart from her cricketing prowess, she also has an interesting personal life. For the uninitiated, Marizanne is married to Dane Van Niekerk, who is the former captain of South Africa's women's cricket team. Van Niekerk captained the side from 2016 to 2021 and is also the first bowler to take 100 wickets in Women's ODIs for South Africa.

Dane Van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp married on July 7, 2018, in a private ceremony in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, after dating for several years. After getting married, they joined the list of women cricketers embracing same-sex marriage, featuring England's Alex Blackwell and Lynsey Askew, New Zealand's Lea Tahuhu and Amy Satterthwaite, Australia's Megan Schutt and Jess Holyoake, and England's Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Marizanne Kapp and Dane Van Niekerk's love story

The married couple, Marizanne Kapp and Dane Van Niekerk, made their international debuts for South Africa just days apart in 2009. After playing together for more than a decade on the national team, Marizanne and Van Niekerk became close friends and dated in secret before tying the knot in 2018. In an old interview, Van Niekerk admitted that she had always been stricter with Marizanne to avoid any perception of favouritism among other players. She said:

"She says I am tougher on her than anyone else in the team. We try to manage things as much as possible. We have our fights on the field, as with anyone else, and I probably am a bit tougher on her because I want to show the team there is no favouritism."

Marizanne Kapp and Dane Van Niekerk have always been extremely professional when they were playing for the national team. However, they've also supported each other in their lowest moments. For instance, when Van Niekerk was omitted from the squad for a major tournament in 2023, Marizanne took compassionate leave in order to be with her wife at home, which spoke volumes about their love. Just like that, they've been their biggest supporters, and no wonder Van Niekerk will be cheering the loudest for Marizanne and their team in the final against India.

What are your thoughts on Marizanne Kapp and Dane Van Niekerk's marriage story? Let us know.

Also Read: ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: Meet Stunning Cricketers Who Could Take The Trophy Home

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