India created history on Sunday by clinching their maiden Women’s Cricket World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in a thrilling final at the D.Y. Patil Stadium. The hosts’ all-round brilliance, led by Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, ended a 50-year wait and sent the home crowd into raptures.

Shafali’s stunning all-round show steals the spotlight

Playing in place of the injured Pratika Rawal, Shafali Verma delivered a career-defining performance. The 21-year-old opener struck a fluent 87 off 78 balls before taking two crucial wickets that broke South Africa’s momentum. Her fearless batting and unexpected bowling heroics earned her the Player of the Match award and sealed India’s long-cherished dream.

South Africa’s star Laura Wolvaardt continued her golden run with a brilliant century, finishing the tournament with 571 runs, the highest ever by a woman in a World Cup. However, her knock wasn’t enough to deny India their historic victory.

Deepti and Amanjot deliver under pressure

India’s middle order stood firm with Deepti Sharma contributing 58 valuable runs and later claiming five wickets. Her pinpoint yorker to dismiss Annerie Dercksen and the crucial wicket of Wolvaardt shifted the game decisively in India’s favour.

Amanjot Kaur’s athletic catch at deep midwicket to remove Wolvaardt was the defining moment of the final. For India, it was truly third time lucky — after losing previous World Cup finals, they finally crossed the line in front of their home fans.

Harmanpreet leads with grit and belief

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has seen Indian women’s cricket evolve over the years, could barely hear her post-match interview over the deafening cheers. “We lost three back-to-back games, but we knew this team had something special to turn things around,” she said, overwhelmed by emotion.

Head coach Amol Mazumdar hailed the win as a watershed moment for Indian cricket. “They’ve done every Indian proud,” he said.

Missed chances cost South Africa dearly

Despite a solid effort with the ball, South Africa’s fielding lapses proved costly. Anneke Bosch dropped a crucial catch when Shafali was on 56, a moment that could have turned the tide.

Bowler Ayabonga Khaka impressed with figures of 3 for 58, while Nonkululeko Mlaba’s tight spell of left-arm spin restricted India’s scoring in the middle overs. But India’s total of 298 for seven proved too tall a chase.

Resilient India complete dream comeback

India’s journey to the final was far from smooth — they had lost three group-stage games but bounced back strongly in the knockouts. The opening partnership of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana (104 runs in 18 overs) gave India the perfect start in the final, nullifying South Africa’s decision to bowl first after a two-hour rain delay.

South Africa briefly threatened through Dercksen’s massive six off Radha Yadav and Nadine de Klerk’s late resistance, but Deepti’s accuracy sealed the match. De Klerk’s mistimed shot to cover handed Harmanpreet the final catch — and India, their long-awaited moment of glory.

As fireworks lit up the Navi Mumbai sky, the Indian players embraced, the tricolour waving proudly in the background. After years of near misses, heartbreaks, and rebuilding, India’s women finally stood atop the world — champions at last.