In a historic and surreal moment for over a billion cricket fans across India and beyond, the Women's Cricket Team were crowned 'World Champions' for the first time, after defeating South Africa in a hard-fought finale in Navi Mumbai. With expectations so high, all the eyeballs on them, and widespread support, the Indian ladies, with immense determination and grit, elevated their game. They, in unison, produced a heart-stopping moment in front of the 45000-strong capacity crowd at the DY Patil Stadium, to lift the cup of their dreams. In a cracker of a final, Deepti Sharma's all-round brilliance, Shafali Verma's top-order batting exploits, coupled with her incisive part-time bowling, and Amanjot Kaur's brilliance on the field, helped the team win their maiden ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, in their third appearance in the final. In what seems to be a ground-breaking occasion, this triumph, from years of heartbreak to history, is a revolution in women's cricket in India. Moreover, it resonates aptly with the men's victory in 1983, with Harmanpreet Kaur's final wicket catch synonymous with Kapil Dev's heroics back then. 

See Also: 'We Got Rs 1,000 Per Match' - Mithali Raj’s shocking revelation about the 2005 World Cup resurfaces

The Summary of the Final, India Vs South Africa, 2025

India backed a batting display of controlled aggression with a stupendous bowling performance, assisted by some fine fielding moments. They played with composure and never let the pressure of a home final get to them. Consequently, they gave everyone memories of a lifetime.

 Crucial Stands and Contributions for India - 

1st Wicket: 104 runs (106 balls) between Smriti Mandhana (45 off 58) and Shafali Verma (49 off 48). 

2nd Wicket: 62 runs (62 balls) between Shafali Verma (38 off 30) and Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 32).

Deepti Sharma: 58 runs (58 balls) and 9.3-0-39-5

Crucial Contributions for South Africa -

Laura Wolvaardt (Proteas Skipper and their lone warrior in the final run-chase): 101 runs (98 balls).

The Subplots that shaped India's Campaign

Smriti-Pratika Opening Duo 

Sparks flew when the openers finally fired. Smriti Mandhana, the Indian vice-captain, and Pratika Rawal's 155-run stand against Australia reignited India's top-order, even in a losing cause, then at the round-robin stage. This marked a turning point as belief began to develop. The blueprint was adopted for what was to follow in the latter half of the tournament. Under pressure in a must-win game against New Zealand, Smriti smashed a match-defining ton. With Pratika, who also struck a century in that match, she had a mammoth opening stand of 212 runs. This powered India into the knockouts after a massive scare of three consecutive league stage defeats against South Africa, Australia and England. 

However, the team suffered a major blow during the washed-out match against Bangladesh, when Pratika fractured her ankle. While fielding, she had a nasty fall, got severely injured, and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. She finished her World Cup campaign as the second-highest run scorer of the team. 

Shafali's Redemption

Overlooked as part of the squad for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, and not even in the reserves at the start, Shafali Verma experienced agony, confusion and eventual ecstasy, all combined during a brief period of time. Destiny had better plans. Called up for the knockouts, as a replacement for the injured opener Pratika Rawal, the Haryana player seized her moment with an all-round performance in the final. Scripting a fairytale, she scored a knock of 87 runs at a blistering rate and backed it up with her surprise part-time bowling. Full of confidence, trusted by the skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, and the team management alike, she scalped two crucial Proteas wickets. This provided India with the necessary impetus for a breakthrough and recharged their hopes for the ultimate glory. Her valuable returns made her presence feel like going from once forgotten to forever unforgettable. She was also adjudged the player of the match in the final. 

Jemimah, India's Gem

Jemimah Rodrigues produced a magical batting display in the semi-final clash against Australia, the seven-time champions, then-holders, and unbeaten in the tournament until that point. Chasing a humongous total of 339 runs and in a situation full of pressure, the Mumbai player, in front of her family, played the innings of her life. She scored an unbeaten 127 to take India into their third ODI World Cup final. An emotional Jemimah, post the match, admitted her struggles with mental health, being dropped from the team, and the feeling of support from her loved ones and coaches. She further thanked the Almighty for enlightening her path and helping her navigate the tough times.  

Amanjot's Clutch Moments

Amanjot Kaur had a World Cup debut to remember. In India's opening match against Sri Lanka, her knock of 57 runs and a 104-run partnership with Deepti Sharma rescued the team from an early collapse. Her resilience during that crisis paved the way for lower-order batters to fight in case the top order stumbles.

In the final, her brilliance in the field proved to be the difference between the sides. The Punjab player first left her mark by producing a heist, a scintillating run-out of the South African opening batter T. Brits. Fielding at mid-off, Amanjot ran the Proteas player, stealing a single, out, by directly hitting the stumps. Secondly, towards the end, at the most crucial and deciding moment of the match, Kaur caught the opposition skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, and their best batter, on 101 runs, at the deep midwicket position. The Indian all-rounder covered good ground to get under the ball, but in a heart-skipping moment for everyone, fumbled twice before holding onto the catch in her third attempt.

Richa's Power

India's wicket-keeper batter, Richa Ghosh, became synonymous with the counter-attacking style of cricket in this World Cup. Her explosive batting punches provided India with a great finish towards the end. Her unbeaten innings of 94 runs against South Africa in the league stage was a show of immense instinct, power and hitting skills. Her display proved that India's middle and lower order could fight back hard in times of distress and otherwise. 

Deepti's All-Round Brilliance

India's Deepti Sharma bagged the player of the tournament award for her all-round exploits in the recently concluded Women's World Cup 2025. She finished as the highest wicket-taker in the competition, scalping 22 wickets in total. Her batting didn't go unnoticed either. She finished as India's sixth-highest run scorer, amassing 215 runs in 9 matches, and with three half-centuries. With a fifty and 4 wickets, she stood tall in the 4-run loss to England. During the final, her run-a-ball score of 58 runs, coupled with a fifer in bowling, sealed her 'Most Valuable Player (MVP)' status. 

Champions of the World 💙🇮🇳

I’ve seen this dream for over two decades, to watch the Indian women lift that World Cup trophy.

Tonight, that dream finally came true.

From the heartbreak of 2005 to the fight of 2017, every tear, every sacrifice, every young girl who picked up a… pic.twitter.com/MgClC7QE9J

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) November 2, 2025