The Indian women’s team scripted history on Sunday (November 2) after beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final to clinch their maiden ODI World Cup trophy at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Led by Shafali Verma's sensational knock of 87 and Deepti Sharma's all-round show, the Women in Blue emerged victorious on the biggest stage, ending their long-awaited global title drought.

After the monumental achievement, Deepti said the Indian women team’s long wait for an ICC title was “written to happen in India.”

Deepti returned with a five-wicket haul (5-39 in 9.3 overs) after scoring a crucial 58 to help India post 298/7 in the title clash. She was eventually declared Player-of-the-Tournament, having finished with 22 scalps and 215 runs across the competition.

“I am feeling really good, since the day we played the first game of the World Cup, I have performed exactly how I wanted to play as a senior player,” Deepti told PTI. “There cannot be anything better than giving such a good performance in the final and lifting the trophy.”

Reflecting on the years of heartbreak before this triumph, she stated, “It took us really long to win the World Cup, but what God has written for you happens only at the destined time and I think it was written to take place in India.”

The off-spinning all-rounder, who became the first player across men’s and women’s cricket to hit a fifty and claim a five-wicket haul in a World Cup knockout fixture, added that the team confident about doing well at the DY Patil Stadium.

“I have so many good memories of DY Patil Stadium as we have won all the series here. We were very positive as a team, and whatever the result might be we will play as a team,” she said.

Chasing 299 to win, South Africa were in the contest till the very end as their skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, became the first woman in the history of cricket to score a century in a Women’s World Cup semifinal and final, but she didn’t get ample support from other end as India went on to lift the coveted trophy.

"We wanted to win it as this was happening in India and we had to win this as a team. Every ball we were feeling like this game will end soon, and the result will be in our favour, and now that wait has come to an end," Deepti concluded.

(With PTI Inputs)