India crowned Women’s World Cup champions after defeating South Africa

Highlights:

• India win their first-ever Women’s World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs.
• Deepti Sharma takes five wickets and scores 58 runs; Shafali Verma top-scores with 87.
• Captain Harmanpreet Kaur says the victory is “just the beginning”.
• South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt scores 101 but ends on the losing side.

INDIA captain Harmanpreet Kaur said her team’s historic Women’s World Cup victory on Sunday was “just the beginning” as they defeated South Africa by 52 runs to lift the trophy for the first time.

Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma led India’s performance with both bat and ball in front of a packed home crowd at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.

Batting first, hosts India posted 298 for 7 and then bowled South Africa out for 246 in 45.3 overs. Spinner Deepti Sharma took five wickets after scoring a run-a-ball 58 in the middle order.

Opener Shafali Verma top-scored with 87 as India set a strong total after being put in to bat in a final delayed by two hours due to rain.

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt hit a determined 101, but her dismissal off Sharma in the 42nd over brought loud cheers from the 45,000 spectators as India moved closer to victory.

Sharma sealed the win by dismissing Nadine de Klerk for 18, sparking celebrations inside the ground and across the country.

“We wanted to break this barrier,” Kaur said. “And our next plan is to make this a habit. We were waiting for it, now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning.”

It was India’s first World Cup win after being runners-up in 2005 and 2017. The team recovered from a difficult league phase, where they lost three straight matches, to qualify for the semi-finals and then defeated seven-time champions Australia.

For South Africa, this was their third consecutive loss in a World Cup final after finishing runners-up in the T20 tournaments in 2023 and 2024. They had reached their first ODI World Cup final despite starting the competition with a 10-wicket loss to England after being bowled out for 69.

In the semi-final, South Africa had defeated England with Wolvaardt scoring 169. “I could not be prouder of this team for the campaign we had,” Wolvaardt said. “Brilliant cricket throughout but outplayed today (by India). Unfortunate to be on the losing side but we will definitely grow from this.”

In the final, Sharma struck key blows with her off-spin, dismissing Annerie Dercksen for 35, ending a 61-run partnership with Wolvaardt that had given South Africa hope. Her double-wicket over to remove Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon (9) brought India close to victory.

Kaur’s decision to hand the ball to part-time off-spinner Verma in the 20th over turned the game. Verma dismissed Sune Luus and then took the wicket of Marizanne Kapp in the next over, putting South Africa under pressure.

Verma was named player of the match. She had also given India a quick start with the bat, putting on a 104-run opening stand with Smriti Mandhana (45). The pair built a solid foundation at a venue where India had successfully chased 339 in the semi-final against Australia.

Sharma added to the total with her 18th ODI half-century, keeping India in control despite three wickets from Ayabonga Khaka.

Sharma finished the tournament with 22 wickets, the most by any player, and scored 215 runs with the bat. She was named the player of the tournament for her all-round contribution.

(With inputs from agencies)