India’s women’s cricket team secured their first-ever Cricket World Cup title after defeating South Africa by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai. The victory marked a historic moment for Indian women’s cricket, as they claimed the trophy for the first time.
The final, held at DY Patil Stadium, saw Harmanpreet Kaur’s team dominate from the outset. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt attempted to disrupt India’s momentum, but her efforts were ultimately insufficient. In response to India’s total of 298-7, Wolvaardt scored a valiant 101 off 98 balls before being caught in the deep by Deepti Sharma, who took five wickets for 39 runs.
While Wolvaardt’s performance was commendable, it was not enough to overcome the consistent batting display by India, which maintained a strong team effort throughout. South Africa struggled to find consistency and lost wickets regularly, eventually being bowled out for 246 in the 46th over.
Wolvaardt’s achievement of scoring a century in both the semifinal and the final made her only the second player in Women’s Cricket World Cup history to accomplish this feat, following Alyssa Healy in 2022. This was also South Africa’s first appearance in a World Cup final, marking a significant milestone for the team.
India had previously reached the final in 2005 and 2017, where they were defeated by Australia and England, respectively. This year’s final was notable for being the first to exclude both Australia and England, with Australia holding the record of seven titles.
After being put into bat, India posted the second-highest total in a Women’s World Cup final, though they fell short of surpassing 300. They reached 151-1 at the halfway mark of their innings. Opener Smriti Mandhana contributed 45 runs, bringing her total for the tournament to 434, making her the leading run-scorer for India in a World Cup. She surpassed Mithali Raj’s previous record of 409 runs set in 2017.
Shafali Verma, Mandhana’s opening partner, played a crucial role with an unbeaten 87 off 78 balls. Deepti Sharma added 58 off 48 balls, maintaining the team’s momentum during the middle overs. Richa Ghosh also made an impact with a 34-ball 34, including two sixes, showcasing the best strike rate of the innings.
South Africa started the chase strongly, with the opening pair reaching 50 in the 10th over. However, Tazmin Brits’ dismissal, run out by Amanjot Kaur, disrupted their momentum. Anneke Bosch faced a challenging start, scoring a six-ball duck before being dismissed by Sree Charani.
Shafali Verma then turned the tide with the ball, taking two key wickets that left South Africa at 123-4 in the 23rd over. Sinalo Jafta’s dismissal in the 30th over further weakened South Africa’s position, leaving them at 148-5 and struggling to recover.
With Wolvaardt’s innings coming to an end, India’s women knew they were on the verge of achieving what their male counterparts had failed to do—winning the World Cup on home soil.
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