The victory was built on a solid batting display and a collective bowling effort that never allowed South Africa to recover from a slow start.
Published Nov 03, 2025 | 12:08 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 03, 2025 | 12:27 AM
The triumph marks a watershed moment for Indian women’s cricket, the result of years of near misses and steady growth.
Synopsis: India lifted their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, capping a historic night for women’s cricket in the country. Batting first, India posted 298 for seven, led by Shafali Verma’s 87 and Deepti Sharma’s all-round display, before bowling out South Africa with disciplined spells from Deepti and Nallapureddy Charani. The victory, achieved before a jubilant home crowd, marked the culmination of years of near misses.
India created history on Sunday evening, 2 November, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, clinching their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title with a commanding 52-run victory over South Africa.
In front of a packed and emotional home crowd, the women in blue brought a formidable South Africa to heel by defending a total of 298 with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
The triumph marks a watershed moment for Indian women’s cricket, the result of years of near misses and steady growth.
For a team that had come agonisingly close before, most painfully in 2017 at Lord’s, this was the night they finally crossed the line – built on a solid batting display and a collective bowling effort that never allowed South Africa to recover from a slow start.
After a brief delay due to rain, South Africa chose to field after winning the toss, hoping the dew would help in the second innings.
India began well. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana opened with control and intent, taking the score to 100 before the first wicket. Mandhana, on 45, edged Chloe Tryon to slip. Verma carried on and was dropped on 55 – a mistake that would prove costly for South Africa. She added another 30 before falling for 87.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who had rescued India in the semifinal, looked fluent early but was caught for 24. Harmanpreet Kaur followed for 20. The innings could have gone flat then, but Deepti Sharma held the line with a solid 58.
Richa Ghosh added another 34 in the final overs, keeping the tempo up while the outfield began to slow. India ended on 298 for 7. It was enough to give the bowlers something to work with.
Ayabonga Khaka was South Africa’s best bowler with 3 for 58.
South Africa’s chase was a slow one with captain Laura wolvaardt starting cautiously against a disciplined indian bowling attack. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits gave the innings a steady start with a 50-run partnership. The stand was broken when Brits was run out for 23 off 35 balls by Amanjot Kaur, and Anneke Bosch fell soon after for a duck, trapped lbw by Nallapureddy Charani. The early wickets slowed the scoring rate and put the Proteas under pressure.
Wolvaardt held firm and brought up a composed half-century, guiding South Africa past 100. Suné Luus made 25 before falling to Deepti Sharma, and Marizanne Kapp was dismissed for just 4 in the 23rd over. When Sinalo Jefta was caught for 16 off 29 balls, the scoreboard read 150 for 5 in the 30th over.
Despite the pressure, Wolvaardt built a steady haul, reached her ninth One-Day International century—her fastest—from 96 balls, having faced only 40 percent dot deliveries.
With 88 needed from the final 60 balls, South Africa still had a chance. Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon looked to lift the tempo, with Tryon cutting Amanjot Kaur through point for four before Jemimah Rodrigues saved two runs with a diving stop on the boundary.
Then came the turning point. Wolvaardt was caught out on 101 when she misjudged a lofted shot off Deepti Sharma to Amanjot Kaur, who held a juggling catch at deep mid-wicket to leave South Africa at 220 for 7. Deepti struck again to dismiss Tryon lbw after a review.
Deepti Sharma became the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in a Women’s World Cup final, a feat previously bettered only by England’s Anya Shrubsole, who took 6 for 46 against India in 2017.
Nadine de Klerk fought on, sweeping aerially for four and finding six runs off the first two balls of the 43rd over. But India’s bowlers held their nerve. Eight runs came from that over, followed by a sequence of dot balls that kept the pressure high. Renuka Singh missed a sharp caught-and-bowled chance off Khaka, and Jemimah Rodrigues put down de Klerk in the deep, but the required rate continued to climb.
De Klerk tried to keep South Africa’s hopes alive, holding the strike and battling hard. After three dot balls, she pierced the leg-side field for four.
Sree Charani then sent down a wide as Renuka Singh failed to stop the ball on the rope, followed by another wide and a boundary steered behind square by de Klerk.
But the brief surge ended when Ayabonga Khaka was run out for 1 by a sharp throw from Deepti Sharma, with Richa Ghosh completing the dismissal behind the stumps. South Africa slipped to 246 for 9, their chase now in its final moments.
Moments later, it was over. Nadine de Klerk, who had fought bravely, was caught off Renuka Singh for 27. South Africa were all out, and the women in blue erupted in celebration.
