Mumbai: The Indian women’s cricket team created history on Sunday, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in a thrilling final at DY Patil Stadium to clinch their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title.
Batting first, India posted a competitive 298-7, powered by standout performances from Shafali Verma (87 off 78) and Deepti Sharma (58 off 58). The openers, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali, gave India a flying start with a 104-run partnership, laying the foundation for a strong total. Mandhana fell for 45, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur added a steady 20. Late cameos from Richa Ghosh (34 off 24) and Deepti Sharma pushed India close to the 300 mark.
Chasing 299, South Africa began well with skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits putting up a 51-run opening stand. However, a quick run-out of Brits (23) and a duck from Anneke Bosch left South Africa struggling at 62-2. Wolvaardt tried to rebuild with Sune Luus (25) and later with Annerie Dercksen (35), but regular breakthroughs by Indian bowlers kept the pressure on.
Wolvaardt’s valiant century (101 off 98) stood out as South Africa’s lone fight, but her dismissal at 220-7 ended their hopes. The Proteas were eventually bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs.
Deepti Sharma was the star with the ball, claiming 5 wickets for 39 runs, while Shafali Verma took two and Shree Charani picked up one.
The historic victory marks a monumental moment for Indian women’s cricket — their first-ever World Cup win after years of near misses. Fans erupted in celebration across the country as the Women in Blue lifted the trophy, cementing their place in cricketing history.
