And the wait is finally over: India are World Champions!
In a night soaked in emotion and history, the Women in Blue defeated a gritty South Africa by 52 runs to clinch their first-ever ICC Women’s World
Cup title, sending the packed DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai into absolute euphoria.
After posting a commanding 298/7, India’s bowlers sealed the dream. Deepti Sharma was the star of the night, spinning webs around the Proteas batting lineup with a sensational five-wicket haul, as South Africa were bowled out for 246.
Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s ever-passionate skipper, hoisted the trophy that had long eluded legends Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, two icons who had carried the torch for over two decades.
The moment was as symbolic as it was historic.
Ladies and gentlemen, the new World Champions – INDIA! 🇮🇳🏆
They BELIEVED. The whole of India BELIEVED. 💙#CWC25 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/GvDVjwuqC0
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 2, 2025
Indian women’s cricket finally touched its Everest as years of toil, heartbreaks and near-misses culminated in an evening of redemption and history for the hosts.
India’s breakthrough in the 13th edition of the global showpiece made them only the fourth team to lift the trophy, joining Australia (7 titles), England (4) and New Zealand (1) in the pantheon of champions.
With the victory, Harmanpreet Kaur’s team finally buried the ghosts of the 2005 and 2017 finals, delivering India’s much-awaited World title — a watershed moment for the women’s game in the country.
For the younger generation — Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, and the unstoppable Shafali Verma — it marked not just a victory, but the beginning of a new era.
As the fireworks erupted across the Navi Mumbai sky, the emotion on Harmanpreet’s face said it all. The tears, the smiles, the collective sigh of a billion fans: this was more than a win. It was redemption.
From heartbreak to history, from nearly-there to champions, India’s women finally rewrote their story. And this time, they wrote it in gold.
