India Clinch Historic First Women’s Cricket World Cup Title with 52-Run Win over South Africa
NAVI MUMBAI, India — India’s women made history on Sunday, lifting the Cricket World Cup for the first time after defeating South Africa by 52 runs in a thrilling final at DY Patil Stadium.
Batting first after a rain delay, India posted a commanding 298-7, powered by a collective team effort led by Shafali Verma’s 87 off 78, Deepti Sharma’s run-a-ball 58, and Richa Ghosh’s quickfire 34 off 24. Despite being on track for a 300-plus total after reaching 151-1 at the halfway mark, India’s innings slowed slightly in the later overs. Still, their 298 stood as the second-highest total ever in a Women’s World Cup final.
In reply, South Africa’s captain Laura Wolvaardt waged a lone battle, crafting a magnificent 101 off 98 balls before falling to Deepti Sharma, who starred with the ball, finishing with 5-39. South Africa were eventually bowled out for 246 in the 46th over, handing India a deserved victory and their long-awaited maiden world title.
Wolvaardt’s century, her second in consecutive knockout matches after her semifinal ton against England, made her only the second player to score back-to-back hundreds at this stage of the tournament — a feat first achieved by Australia’s Alyssa Healy in 2022.
For South Africa, this marked their first-ever World Cup final, while India were appearing in their third, having finished runners-up in 2005 and 2017. It was also the first women’s World Cup final without Australia or England, with the former holding a record seven titles.
India’s opener Smriti Mandhana, who scored 45 in the final, capped a superb tournament with 434 runs, becoming India’s top run-scorer in a single World Cup — surpassing Mithali Raj’s 409 runs in 2017.
South Africa started brightly, reaching 50 without loss by the 10th over, but the dismissal of Tazmin Brits for 23 — run out by a sharp piece of fielding from Amanjot Kaur — triggered a collapse. Sree Charani trapped Anneke Bosch LBW for a duck, and Verma struck twice in quick succession to remove Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp, leaving South Africa struggling at 123-4.
From there, India tightened their grip. By the time Wolvaardt’s resistance ended, the home crowd knew victory — and history — was in sight.
With this triumph, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side went one better than their male counterparts, who hosted the men’s 2023 World Cup but fell short in the final. For India’s women, the 2025 win is not just a title — it’s the fulfillment of decades of promise and the dawn of a new era in women’s cricket.
