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On November 2, 2025, India Women’s successful national cricket team won their first-ever ICC Women’s One Day International crown. They defeated South Africa in a memorable final at Dr DY Patil Stadium with 52 runs.This victory marked a great moment for Indian cricket, as the team at least got elusive world crown after years of effort itself just missed out in both 2005 and 2017.India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, played great all-round cricket to overcome South Africa.
First came the brilliant batting of Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma; then followed a spectacular bowling performance that wrapped up this historic win.After winning the toss, India opted to bat. Shafali Verma, the young opener, played a stunning innings to score 87 runs from just 78 balls putting them under immediate pressure with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Her positive start gave India the perfect platform.Smriti Mandhana, India’s most consistent performer in the tournament so far, added a useful 45 off 58 balls. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 20 runs in the middle order, holding up play until she fell to Nonkululeko Mlaba. Then in the final overs it was Deepti Sharma who took over, scoring at a rate of knots an unbeaten 58-ball 58 as India went through the 290 mark.For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka had the best figures with 3 wickets for 58 runs while Nonkululeko Mlaba, Nadine de Klerk, and Chloe Tryon each took one. Despite their efforts, South Africa was unable to curb India’s steady run rate throughout the innings.
Although both openers were gone within six overs, things started uncomfortably for South Africa when they entered the field to pursue their goal of 299. But Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa’s captain also reached new heights in her personal capacity, played a desolatory but extremely fine game. She carried South Africa’s chances of a win on her slim shoulders, scoring 101 runs off 98 balls with nine fours and one six.
India’s bowlers chipped in with wickets at regular intervals to keep South Africa from building any big partnerships. Deepti Sharma, who had batted well for India earlier, put in a fine spell of bowling that won her the game, capturing 5 wickets for 39 runs in 9.3 overs. Consequently she was awarded the Player of the Match prize.
As the final wicket went down, the stadium erupted in joy. Indian players hugged one another while chanting “India! India!” echoed from the seats. When Harmanpreet Kaur raised the trophy over her head, it was greeted with roars of approval and clouds of color floating through the Navi Mumbai sky.
In her post-game interview, Harmanpreet Kaur said, “This is a dream come true for all of us. We have toiled for years to reach this point. Each and every member of this squad has poured her heart and soul into the team. Today we have shown that Indian women’s cricket can lay claim to the highest platform on earth.
For her consistent all-rounder performances which sustained throughout the competition, Deepti Sharma, named Player of the Tournament, thanked Indian fans and her teammates for the win. “We believed we could do this, and that belief brought us here. This is not just our victory, it’s a victory for every girl who dreams of playing cricket for India,” she said with a smile on her lips.
“This is a proud day for the country,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating the team. “Our daughters have made India proud! A golden chapter has been added to our cricket history. Congratulations on this historic victory to Team India in the Women’s World Cup.”
What really made India’s triumphant charge so astonishing is that they managed to lift the trophy despite beginning with two explosive wins against powerful rivals Australia and England. They suffered a close loss to New Zealand then recovered strongly in victories against Pakistan and West Indies to outstrip all opposition; India’s semi-final against defending champions Australia has been described as one of the great matches in recent cricket history. But they finally prevailed to set up a final with South Africa.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that a reward of ₹5 crore in cash will be given to the team. This historic win is expected to revolutionise the future of women’s cricket in India. It is hoped by experts who believe that the victory will encourage many young girls to take up the sport. The popularity of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be enhanced; women cricketers all across the country are now expected to receive greater attention and recognition.
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