November 2, 2025, marked a historic moment for Indian cricket as Harmanpreet Kaur's team defeated South Africa by 52 runs to win their maiden ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
After years of coming close to the ultimate prize, India finally reached the summit of women's one-day international cricket, celebrating their first ODI World Cup triumph in front of a packed home crowd.
Batting first after South Africa won the toss and elected to field, India posted 298/7 in their 50 overs. Shafali Verma led the innings with an outstanding 87 off 78 balls, setting the foundation for a competitive total. Smriti Mandhana contributed 45, while Deepti Sharma scored a crucial 58 to steady the innings through the middle overs.
Richa Ghosh provided late momentum with an attacking 34 off just 24 deliveries, helping India finish strongly. Ayabonga Khaka was South Africa's most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 58 runs.
Chasing 299 for victory, South Africa began positively but lost wickets at important stages. Captain Laura Wolvaardt kept her team's hopes alive with a magnificent 101 off 98 balls. However, India continued to apply pressure through disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
Shafali made an important contribution with the ball, claiming two wickets, including those of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp. Her spell shifted the momentum towards India at a crucial stage of the chase.
Deepti Sharma then delivered a match-defining performance. She finished with figures of 5/39, removing key batters as South Africa's innings fell apart. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs, handing India a memorable 52-run victory.
Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for her all-round contribution, while Deepti Sharma finished the tournament as Player of the Series after scoring 215 runs and taking 22 wickets.
The victory also represented a significant achievement for captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who had experienced the disappointment of previous World Cup campaigns, including India's narrow defeat in the 2017 final.
This time, the Indian team completed the journey. The celebrations in Navi Mumbai reflected the importance of the achievement, as India lifted the trophy for the first time in the history of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup.
One year later, November 2 remains a landmark date in Indian women's cricket — the day the team turned a long-standing ambition into a world title.
