India Clinch Maiden Title, Shattering Proteas' Dreams

Women’s ODI World Cup:

India Clinch Maiden Title, Shattering Proteas' Dreams

Sports Desk, Rtv News

Publish : 03 Nov 2025, 08:56 AM

Photo: Collected

The date was June 25, 1983. On that day, Kapil Dev’s team redefined the history of men’s cricket in India. Their maiden World Cup victory at Lord’s not only secured a trophy but also set the foundation for the game to become an emotion and a multi-billion dollar industry for the entire Indian nation.

Now, on November 2, 2025, that history has been rewritten by Harmanpreet Kaur's Women's Cricket team. Under her leadership, India has secured their first-ever Women’s World Cup title.

In a thrilling, tightly contested final held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday (November 2), Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad defeated South Africa by 52 runs to claim the World Champions crown for the first time.

The Drama and the Collapse

Chasing a mammoth target of 299, South Africa needed a record run-chase. For a considerable period, the Proteas clung to their hopes of victory, anchored by a masterful century from skipper Laura Wolvaardt.

However, the match took a dramatic turn in the 42nd over when Wolvaardt (101) fell to an unbelievable, game-changing catch by Amanjot Kaur off the bowling of Deepti Sharma. Following her pivotal dismissal, the Proteas' innings crumbled like a house of cards. All out for 246, they once again left a major tournament stage with the agony of a broken dream.

Deepti Sharma: The Architect of Victory

Spinner Deepti Sharma was the undisputed architect of India's historic triumph, finishing with a match-winning spell of 5 wickets. Shafali Verma contributed with two crucial wickets.

India's Mammoth Total

Earlier, after losing the toss and being put in to bat, India posted a formidable total of 298 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs. South African captain Laura Wolvaardt's decision to field, hoping to utilize the wet conditions, was swiftly thwarted by the Indian openers.

Smriti Mandhana (45 off 47 balls, 8 fours) and Shafali Verma put on a blistering 104-run partnership in just 17.3 overs. Though Mandhana departed, Shafali continued her assault, partnering with Jemimah Rodrigues (24). Shafali’s devastating innings of 87 (7 fours, 2 sixes) ended just 13 runs short of a century, with the team’s score at 166.

Despite the quick loss of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (20) and Amanjot Kaur (12) in the middle overs, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh stabilized the innings. Their aggressive partnership added 47 runs off 35 balls, propelling the team toward the 300-run mark. Richa played a quick-fire cameo of 34 (3 fours, 2 sixes).

Deepti Sharma’s superb unbeaten innings of 58 (3 fours, 1 six) anchored the finish and was crucial in taking India's score to 298 before she was run out on the last ball. For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka was the most successful bowler, claiming 3 wickets for 58 runs in 9 overs.

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