A new name was etched into cricket’s most coveted trophy on Sunday as India lifted their maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, ending a 25-year wait for a new champion in international women’s cricket.
Powered by Shafali Verma’s blistering 87 and Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance — a fifty followed by a five-wicket haul — India scripted a stunning 52-run victory over South Africa in front of a roaring crowd at the DY Patil Stadium.
Set a daunting target of 299, South Africa’s chase began brightly under skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who carried her sublime form from the semi-final to notch her second consecutive century.
Her 101 in 98 balls kept South Africa in the contest till deep into the innings, but Deepti’s magical spell turned the tide India’s way.
Shafali’s fireworks light up India’s innings
Asked to bat after a two-hour rain delay, India got off to a flyer through Shafali and Smriti Mandhana. The pair added 104 runs for the opening wicket, taking on the South African seamers with fearless strokeplay.
Shafali’s 87 from 78 balls — studded with 7 fours and 2 sixes — was the bedrock of India’s innings, while Mandhana’s fluent 45 maintained early momentum. After their dismissals, Deepti (58 off 58 balls) and Richa Ghosh (34 off 24) injected crucial late runs, pushing India to a competitive 298 for seven.
Ayabonga Khaka led South Africa’s fightback with 3 for 58, while Chloe Tryon and Marizanne Kapp chipped in with timely breakthroughs that prevented India from crossing the 300-run mark.
Wolvaardt’s lone battle and Deepti’s dream spell
Chasing 299, South Africa’s openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits began confidently, putting on 51 before Amanjot Kaur’s sharp direct hit sent Brits back. From there, India’s spinners tightened the screws.
Youngster Shree Charani trapped Anneke Bosch leg-before, and Shafali — turning her hand with the ball — removed Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession to push South Africa to the brink.
Even as Wolvaardt held firm with graceful drives and calculated aggression, wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Deepti’s introduction changed everything — she dismissed Annerie Dercksen and then cleaned up the tail in a devastating spell of 5 for 39.
Her final strike, trapping Chloe Tryon LBW on umpire’s call, sparked scenes of euphoria as the Indian players sprinted across the field in celebration.
A historic night for Indian cricket
For Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, the victory marked the culmination of years of near-misses and heartbreaks — from the 2017 final to the 2022 semi-final. This time, there was no what-if.
“We were waiting for it. Now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving," said an emotional Harmanpreet after the match. "This is not the end, just the beginning.”
The triumph also crowned India as the first new champion in women’s cricket since 1999 — a testament to their evolution from challengers to world-beaters.
