India’s women’s cricket team-led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have scripted history claiming their first-ever Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy with a 52-run victory over South Africa in the final match played yesterday (Sunday, 2 November) at at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai (India).
India’s winning team also gets a record-breaking NZ$7.68 million (approx) – nearly Indian Rs 39 crore, prize money and a significant uplift for women’s cricket.
Put into bat first after a delayed start following intermittent drizzle, India put up 298/7 against South Africa, posting the second-highest score in a Women’s ODI World Cup final. In spite of South Africa captain’s superb century (101), Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma’s star performance brought victory for India.
South Africa were all out for 246 in 45.3 overs in front of a sold-out crowd of 45,000.
With this win, India joined Australia, England and New Zealand as the only countries to have won the showpiece tournament.
India’s Deepti and Shafali starred with both bat and ball to help India secure a nail-biting win after South Africa had won the toss and elected to bowl.
Shafali Verma top-scored for the hosts with a 78-ball 87 — her highest ODI score, and was named the Player of the Match for her knock and figures of 2/36 with the ball.
Deepti Sharma, who finished as the top wicket-taker in the Women’s World Cup 2025 and scored three half-centuries, was named the Player of the Tournament.
After heartbreaks in 2005 and 2017, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side produced a complete performance to lift their Women’s Cricket World Cup title, also becoming the first women’s team from Asia to win a global title across formats.
Chasing 299, South Africa looked in contention of winning at one stage, but Deepti’s breakthrough sparked a dramatic collapse. After she dismissed Annerie Dercksen, the South Africans crumbled from 209/5 to 246 all out. Despite Nadine de Klerk’s late fight, South Africa couldn’t recover from the collapse.
Deepti turned the tide for India with a brilliant spell that yielded three crucial wickets, including that of South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, who led from the front with a magnificent century (101). But she lacked support and wickets fell regularly at the their end.
“Unfortunate to be on the losing side but we’ll definitely grow from this as a group,” Wolvaardt said later.
India’s first breakthrough came through sharp fielding when Tazmin Brits was run out by a direct hit from Amanjot Kaur at the non-striker’s end. Brits and Wolvaardt had given South Africa a solid foundation with a fifty-run opening stand in the powerplay, putting the pressure on India’s bowlers early in the chase.
Sree Charani then struck in her first over to trap Anneke Bosch LBW. Despite the quick wickets, Wolvaardt continued to anchor the innings, bringing up her 39th ODI fifty and guiding South Africa past 100 alongside Sune Luus.
Sensing the need for a breakthrough, captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to bring Verma into the attack proved decisive. The opener’s twin strikes turned the momentum in India’s favour, setting the stage for Deepti Sharma’s match-defining spell that ultimately put India in control.
It completes an incredible turnaround for India, who lost three consecutive group-stage games before their march to glory.
