India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final to clinch their maiden Women's World Cup title.
The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 ended on Sunday (November 2), with hosts India clinching the coveted title with a comprehensive 52-run victory over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
20 years after playing their first World Cup final, the Women in Blue finally brought home the elusive title. Led by Shafali Verma's sensational 87 and Deepti Sharma's five-wicket haul, India emerged victorious on the biggest stage.
Speaking after collecting the trophy from ICC chairman Jay Shah, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said the victory marked the beginning of a new era, promising that the team would strive to make winning a habit.
"This is the start. We wanted to break this barrier. And our next plan is to make this a habit. We were waiting for it. Now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning," Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
The captain also revealed that she trusted her instincts and handed the ball to Shefali Verma which proved to be the turning point of the final.
Shefali joined the team ahead of the semi-final when Pratika Rawal was ruled out of knockouts due to injury. Apart from the batting heroics, she also bagged two crucial wickets in the title clash.
"When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good. I just saw Shafali standing there, and the way she was batting, I knew it was our day. I thought I had to go with my gut feeling. My heart was saying I had to give her at least one over. And that was the turning point for us. In the end, they panicked a little and that is where we cashed in. At the right time, Deepti came in and took those wickets," Kaur said.
"When she came to the team, we told her we might need 2-3 overs, and she said, 'If you give me bowling, I will bowl ten overs.' Credit goes to her - she was so positive and she was there for the team. Salute her,” she added.
It was head coach Amol Muzumdar who was always in Harmanpreet’s ear about doing something big and something special.
"Amol sir was with the team and he was always telling us to come up with something special, and to keep preparing for the big occasion. We should give credit to the support staff and the BCCI. We did not make too many changes to our squad, and they really invested in us. Because of everyone, we are standing here,” she remarked.
For Shafali, who had experienced tough time in her international career over the past year, the World Cup triumph must have felt like God's decree.
"I said at the start that God has sent me here to do something nice, and that reflected today. Very happy that we won and I cannot express it in words," Shafali said.
Coming into two knockout games isn't easy, but the 21-year-old had belief in her abilities. "It was difficult, but I had confidence in myself - that if I could stay calm, I could achieve everything. My parents, my friends, my brother, everyone supported me and helped me understand how to play. It was very important for my team and myself, and I just wanted to make my team win. My mind was clear and I worked on my plans.”
“So happy that I could execute, and Smriti di and Harman di, everyone was supporting me. They (seniors) asked me just to play my own game, and when you get that clarity, that is all you need. It is a very memorable moment."
Shafali was elated to produce the Player-of-the-Match performance in the final in front of her idol Sachin Tendulkar.
"When I saw Sachin sir, it gave me an incredible boost. I keep talking to him, he keeps giving me confidence. He is the master of cricket, and we keep getting inspired just looking at him," she said.
(With PTI Inputs)