India clinch historic first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title

Rakesh Thapliyal

Navi Mumbai: Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma guided India to a historic 52-run victory over South Africa which saw the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 hosts lift the trophy for the first time.

Sharma propelled her country to 298 for seven with a composed 58 before returning a match-winning five for 39 with the ball to bowl South Africa out for 246.

Verma had earlier crashed 87 at the top of the order to get India off to a strong start but Laura Wolvaardt responded during the Proteas’ chase with her ninth ODI century.

But once Sharma removed South Africa’s captain, the hosts were able to finish the job and become world champions for the first time to the delight of an ecstatic crowd in Navi Mumbai.

Verma leads from the front

A two-hour rain delay did little to dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd and India’s openers were keen to put on a show once the action was underway.

Verma hit the first boundary of the innings and followed that with a glorious cover drive off Marizanne Kapp.

Smriti Mandhana backed up her partner with a flurry of fours and took the score past 50 with an imperious flick in the seventh over.

A beautifully timed six from Verma negated the pressure being built by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nadine De Klerk, as the openers took their stand past 100.

However, two balls later Mandhana was gone, excellently caught for 45 by Sinalo Jafta behind the stumps after trying to cut Chloe Tryon.

Verma reached her first ODI half century in three years from 49 balls soon after but was given a life when on 56 after she was dropped by Anneke Bosch at deep mid-wicket.

That error cost 31 runs as Verma eventually fell for a 78-ball 87 to Ayabonga Khaka, ending her 62-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues, before the same bowler then picked up India’s number three for 24 thanks to Wolvaardt’s excellent low catch.

The dismissals of Harmanpreet Kaur (20) and and Amanjot Kaur (12), to Nonkululeko Mlaba and De Klerk respectively, kept the game in the balance with the score 245 for five in the 44th over.

Sharma batted well during the back end of India’s batting effort to reach her 18th ODI fifty but had to ride her luck on more than one occasion after being put down by both Kapp and Wolvaardt.

Richa Ghosh clubbed 34 from 24 balls to help India finish strongly but she became Khaka’s third scalp and Sharma was run out for 58 as South Africa kept their victory target below 300.

Sharma shines with the ball despite Wolvaardt ton

In pursuit of 299 runs to claim a maiden World Cup title, Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits got South Africa off to a solid start.

Brits brought up the 50-run partnership with a boundary in the ninth over, but the 34-year-old was then brilliantly run out by Amanjot Kaur five balls later for 23.

Bosch was then pinned in front for a duck by Sree Charani two overs later to leave the Proteas 62 for two.

A single midway through the 13th over, took Wolvaardt to 40 and also to 510 runs for the tournament – breaking Alyssa Healy’s record of 509 in the 2022 edition for the most at a single ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

The 26-year-old reached her half-century from 45 balls with a four through long-on before a further four boundaries followed in the next 14 balls, via both Wolvaardt and Luus, took South Africa into three figures.

But Verma, India’s star with the bat, then took centre stage with the ball as she removed both Luus (25) and Kapp (4) in quick succession to leave South Africa 123 for four.

With the required run-rate climbing, Sharma sent Jafta back to the pavilion for 16 to put the spinner out on her own as the competition’s leading wicket taker with 18 dismissals.

With South Africa’s hopes requiring a late-order partnership, one came through Annerie Dercksen and Wolvaardt as the former’s two brutal sixes helped the pair to half-century-run stand for the sixth wicket.

But Sharma blitzed through South Africa’s lower order with three wickets in eight deliveries to swing the momentum in India’s favour.

Having been the fielder who dropped Dercksen on 24, Sharma atoned for her error by removing her for 35 before claiming the crucial wicket of Wolvaardt for a brilliant 101 after Amanjot Kaur held onto a brilliant catch in the deep at the third attempt.

Tryon was then given out LBW to become Sharma’s fourth victim to leave South Africa 221 for eight, still 78 runs shy of their target just 8.2 overs left.

Khaka was then run out and despite the best efforts of De Klerk (18), Sharma removed the batter that had hit an unbeaten 84 during the last fixture between the two countries to complete her five-wicket haul and give India a historic global triumph on home soil.

Scores in brief

India v South Africa – Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, India

India 298/7 from 50 overs (Shafali Verma 87, Deepti Sharma 58; Ayabonga Khaka 3/58, Chloe Tryon 1/46)

South Africa 246 all out from 45.3 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 101, Annerie Dercksen 35; Deepti Sharma 5/39, Shafali Verma 2/36)

Result: India won by 52 runs.