The Indian women’s cricket team were crowned the champions of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 on Sunday at the DY Patil Stadium with their 52-run win over South Africa.
India posted a total of 298 before bundling out the Protea women for 246 as Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma starred with the bat and the ball.
After a prolonged rain delay, South African women chose to put India to bat first.
Smriti Mandhana and Shefali Verma opened the innings for India and put up a 106-run partnership before Mandhana was dismissed for 45 by Chloe Tryon, with Sinalo Jafta catching the ball. Jemimah Rodrigues replaced Mandhana and briefly kept the runs coming.
Verma, top-scored for the hosts with 87 before being dismissed by Ayabonga Khaka as Sune Luus held on to the catch
offered up by Verma’s. Khaka subsequently dismissed Rodrigues, who managed only 24 runs, failing to emulate her semi-final heroics.
Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 20 runs from 29 deliveries before being castled by Nonkululeko Mlaba. Amanjot Kaur was sent back to the pavilion for 12 runs by Nadine de Klert, who caught her off her own bowled.
Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh put up a valiant stand towards the business end of the innings to help the hosts finish with a flourish. Deepti made a measured half-century, scoring a run-a-ball 58 before being run out by Tryon while Ghosh fell victim to Khaka after notching up 34 runs off just 24 deliveries.
India set the visiting Protea women a target of 299 to win the coveted piece of silverware as skipper Laura Wolvaardt opened the innings with Tazmin Brits. The duo stitched a 51-run stand for the first wicket before Amanjot Kaur produced a brilliant bit of work on the field to run the latter out for 23 runs.
Sree Charani removed Anneke Bosch for a duck after six deliveries before Sune Luus and Wolvaardt held crease. The partnership between the pair pushed South Africa’s chase forward but were thwarted by Shafali Verma’s inspired spell which saw the dismissal of Luus for 25 and Marizanne Kapp for 4 in quick succession.
Jafta was removed by Deepti as Radha Yadav’s catch forced the South African to take the long walk back after having added 16 runs, before Annerie Dercksen walked out to address the slump.
Dercksen accompanied her skipper, who kept the scoreboard ticking with a captain’s knock, as the Proteas looked to make a game of the clash before Deepti doubled her wicket tally with the scalp of Dercksen for 35 off 37.
Wolvaardt, who smashed multiple record with her innings on the day, completed her ton in the 40th over of the game and the final remained in the balance with the tourists requiring 88 runs in the final 10 overs.
However, India grabbed the advantage as Amanjot held on to Wolvaardt’s cath on the third attempt to give Deepti her third wicket as SA slid from there on out with Tyron becoming Deepti’s fourth victim.
Deepti ran Khaka out for 1, before sealing the fate of the Indian women as the champions of the world with her fifth wicket of the day as de Klerk gave the hosts their first taste of glory.
