India Wins Maiden Women's Cricket World Cup Title Against South Africa
India's women's cricket team made history by winning their first-ever World Cup, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Set 299 to win, South Africa's chase was anchored by captain Laura Wolvaardt's century, but regular loss of wickets saw them bowled out for 246. Deepti Sharma starred with 5-39, complementing strong batting performances from Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, who finished as India's top tournament run-scorer.
India’s women’s cricket team finally broke their World Cup drought by beating South Africa by 52 runs in the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. After being put into bat, India posted 298-7, powered by Shafali Verma (87), Deepti Sharma (58), and Richa Ghosh (34* off 24), marking the second-highest total in a women’s World Cup final. Smriti Mandhana finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer for India with 434 runs, surpassing Mithali Raj’s previous record. South Africa, in their first final, began their chase solidly with captain Laura Wolvaardt scoring a valiant 101, but lack of support at the other end led to their dismissal for 246 in the 46th over. Deepti Sharma’s 5-39 was pivotal, especially her dismissal of Wolvaardt, triggering a South African collapse. This victory was India’s third World Cup final appearance, having previously lost in 2005 and 2017, and marked the first women’s final not featuring Australia or England, the traditional powerhouses of the tournament. The historic win was celebrated by a packed home crowd, underlining a significant milestone for women’s cricket in India and globally, with the team’s all-round performance and individual brilliance defining the match.
