India Women won the World Cup by 52 runs

India Women won make history, winning the World Cup by 52 runs. Relive the highlights, top performances, and celebrations from the unforgettable final match

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Navi Mumbai, India – The long wait is finally over. After decades of aspiration and two heartbreaking final defeats, the Indian Women’s Cricket Team clinched their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title on Sunday, defeating South Africa by a commanding 52 runs in a thrilling final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

A stunning all-round performance, spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, saw Harmanpreet Kaur’s side deliver a complete, clinical display to overcome the Proteas, who were also chasing a maiden World Cup crown.

🏏 Innings 1: The Batting Barrage

Put in to bat, India posted a formidable total of 298 for 7 in their 50 overs, a score that proved more than enough on the slow-turning pitch.

• The foundation was laid by a blistering century stand between the openers, Smriti Mandhana (45) and Player of the Match, Shafali Verma. The 21-year-old opener, brought into the squad as a late replacement, played an innings of immense maturity and aggression, smashing a career-best 87 off just 78 balls.
• Despite a brief middle-order wobble that saw quick wickets of Jemimah Rodrigues (24) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (20), it was the composure of Deepti Sharma that anchored the innings. She batted through the difficult phase, scoring a crucial run-a-ball 58, before a powerful cameo from Richa Ghosh (34 off 24 balls) provided the late impetus, pushing the total close to 300.
• South African pacer Ayabonga Khaka was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3 for 58.

🌟 Innings 2: Deepti’s Decimation and Wolvaardt’s Lone Fight

Chasing 299, South Africa’s chase was a testament to their fighting spirit but ultimately fell short, folding for 246 in 45.3 overs.

• The South African reply was built almost entirely on the shoulders of their captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer. She displayed remarkable resilience to score a magnificent 101 off 98 balls, striking her second consecutive century of the knockout stage.
• However, once the initial partnership was broken, the Indian bowlers tightened their grip. It was the inspired introduction of the part-time spin of Shafali Verma that shifted the momentum decisively. She claimed two crucial wickets in quick succession, removing Sune Luus and the dangerous Marizanne Kapp.
• The late-innings hero, however, was the same woman who anchored the batting: Deepti Sharma. She delivered a match-winning spell, becoming the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a Women’s World Cup final, finishing with astonishing figures of 5 for 39. Her dismissal of Wolvaardt in the 42nd over, caught superbly by Amanjot Kaur, was the nail in the coffin.

🏆 A Triumph of Resilience

The final wicket of Nadine de Klerk, fittingly caught by Captain Kaur off Deepti Sharma, sparked scenes of pure elation and emotion. The victory not only ends India’s long quest for the World Cup but also makes them the first women’s team from Asia to lift a global title in any format.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has faced criticism and immense pressure throughout her career, was visibly emotional in the post-match ceremony, dedicating the win to the countless women who paved the way for the team.

This historic triumph, built on a platform of aggressive batting and disciplined, clutch bowling, signifies a watershed moment for women’s cricket in India and around the world, proving that the ‘Women in Blue’ are truly the best in the world.