WTC 2025 Final: 5 Key Players for Australia and South Africa

The World Test Championship 2025 (WTC 2025) Final is all set to take place from 11 to 15 June at Lord’s, England, as the defending champions, Australia, take on South Africa. Both teams have played high-quality cricket over the last two years, and as a result, they will now battle it out in England for the ultimate glory.

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Here are the five key players for Australia and South Africa in the WTC 2025 Final:

1. Travis Head

This batter is known for his aggressive batting ability both in the top order and middle order. It will be interesting to see where the Australian team management decides to use him in the final. 

In the last two years, Head has scored 1,358 runs in 36 innings, at an average of 38.80, including four centuries and five fifties. Despite playing with an overall strike rate of 82.15 in this format, the way Head has managed to play bigger knocks sets him apart from others in the current generation.

2. Temba Bavuma

The South African skipper will be one of the players to watch out for, not only because of his leadership but also due to the way he has batted in this format for the Proteas in recent years. 

In the last two years, Bavuma has scored 609 runs in 11 innings, at an average of 60.90, including two centuries and four fifties. Hence, South African fans will hope to see him leading from the front with the bat at Lord’s.

3. Pat Cummins

The Australian skipper will look to defend the title, and for that, his performance will be key — both as a captain and as a bowler. 

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In the last two years, along with other bowlers like Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland, he has taken 77 wickets in 35 innings, at an average of 25.06 and an economy of 3.43, including five five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul. 

He is also the leading wicket-taker for Australia during this period, and fans will hope he continues that momentum in the final.

4. Kagiso Rabada

For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada is the leading wicket-taker over the last two years in this format, with 47 wickets in 20 innings, at an average of 19.97 and an economy of 3.16, including three five-wicket hauls. 

Rabada is now experienced enough to lead the rest of the bowling unit, which could create problems for Australia’s top-quality batting line-up, especially considering the expected conditions at Lord’s.

5. Steve Smith

Undoubtedly, once again, Steve Smith will be the key batter in this final for Australia. His legacy in this format is second to none, and he is set to add more runs to his already impressive tally. In the last two years, he is the highest run-scorer for Australia, with 1,479 runs in 37 innings, at an average of 43.50, including six centuries and four fifties. 

Throughout his career, Smith has often enjoyed batting in English conditions — something fans have witnessed many times, especially during the Ashes in England.

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