India Women won the ICC World Cup for the first time.
India Women finally achieved their dream as they defeated South Africa in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, on November 2, 2025. This was the first time after two losses in the final that India won the tournament.
Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and decided that South Africa would bowl first. Shafali Verma lit up the arena, smashing 87 in 78 balls with seven fours and two sixes, and adding 104 runs for the first wicket with Smriti Mandhana (45).
Jemimah Rodrigues (24) and Harmanpreet Kaur (20) had started but failed to score big. However, Deepti Sharma led the tail with 58 runs, three fours, and one six, while Richa Ghosh hammered 34 in 24 balls, three fours, and two sixes, propelling India to 298/7 in 50 overs. Ayabonga Khaka scored 3/58 for South Africa.
Laura Wolvaardt extended her purple run by anchoring one end and scoring a stunning 101 in 98 balls, including 11 fours and one six. Other players, such as Tasmin Brits (23), Sune Luus (25), and Annerie Dercksen (35), received starts but were unable to contribute significantly to their captain's ability to maintain the requisite rate.
Deepti Sharma broke the back of South Africa's lower middle order, including Wolvaardt's wicket, and concluded with 5/39 as the team was bowled out for 246 runs and lost the final by 52.
Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for her outstanding knock of 2/36. Deepti Sharma won the Player of the Tournament for her 215 runs and 22 wickets.
Former India captain Virat Kohli took to Instagram to laud the Indian women’s team for their historic triumph. He congratulated Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, and stated that every player of the squad deserves all the applause. Furthermore, he also noted that this World Cup win will inspire more girls to take the sport in India.
“The girls have created history and I couldn’t be more proud as an Indian to see the hard work of so many years come to life finally. They deserve all the applause and a big congratulations to Harman and the whole team for achieving this historic feat. Also, congratulations to the whole squad and the management for the work behind the scenes. Well done, India. Enjoy the moment to the fullest. This will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport in our country. Jai Hind,” he posted on Instagram.