India’s women beat South Africa to claim first Cricket World Cup

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India’s women station 298-7 successful Navi Mumbai earlier bowling South Africa retired for 246 to assertion the 2025 Cricket World Cup.

Published On 2 Nov 2025

India’s women person lifted the Cricket World Cup for the archetypal clip aft beating South Africa by 52 runs successful Navi Mumbai, India.

Reaching the last for a 3rd time, Harmanpreet Kaur’s broadside dominated the contention from the disconnected astatine DY Patil Stadium connected Sunday, though South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt did her champion to spoil the hosts’ enactment successful the tally chase.

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Replying to India’s 298-7, Wolvaardt led from the disconnected and totalled 101 disconnected 98 erstwhile she was yet caught successful the heavy disconnected the bowling disconnected Deepti Sharma, who finished with 5-39.

The enactment was not determination for Wolvaardt, dissimilar that enjoyed passim a squad effort with the bat by India, arsenic South Africa regularly mislaid wickets astatine the different extremity earlier being bowled retired for 246 successful the 46th over.

India's Harmanpreet Kaur celebrates aft winning the ICC Women's World Cup

Wolvaardt’s heroic effort added to the period she scored successful the semifinal triumph against England connected Thursday. She is lone the 2nd subordinate to execute the feat of the back-to-back centuries astatine this signifier of the contention aft Alyssa Healy did truthful successful Australia’s victorious tally successful the 2022 edition.

Neither squad has lifted the trophy; indeed, this was South Africa’s archetypal final.

India had travel adjacent doubly before, reaching the last successful 2005 and 2017, losing to Australia and England, respectively.

This was besides the archetypal women’s World Cup last that did not impact either Australia oregon England, the erstwhile being the grounds winners with 7 victories to their name.

Having been enactment in, aft a agelong hold owed to rain, India posted the second-highest full successful a women’s World Cup final. But they volition consciousness they should person comfortably cleared 300, having reached 151-1 astatine the halfway signifier of their innings.

Opener Smriti Mandhana’s 45 meant the India batter finished with 434 runs for the tournament.

It puts her apical of India’s database of tally scorers astatine a World Cup up of Mithali Raj, who registered 409 successful the 2017 edition.

The limelight connected the time belonged to her opening partner, however, arsenic Shafali Verma struck 87 disconnected 78.

India's Deepti Sharma celebrates aft reaching her fractional century

Deepti Sharma’s run-a-ball 58 kept the momentum going done the mediate over, portion Richa Ghosh thumped 2 sixes successful an innings of 34 disconnected 24 precocious connected that marked the champion strike-rate of the innings.

South Africa started the pursuit solidly enough, the opening brace bringing up the 50 concern successful the 10th over. The nonaccomplishment of Tazmin Brits, tally retired by a superb portion of fielding by Amanjot Kaur for 23, started a wobble, though.

Anneke Bosch pushed backmost a achy six-ball duck earlier being trapped LBW by Sree Charani.

Verma past came to the enactment with the ball, picking up Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp to permission South Africa reeling connected 123-4 successful the 23rd over.

When Sinalo Jafta fell successful the 30th with her broadside 148-5, it was hard to spot a mode backmost for a squad hoping to beryllium the archetypal elder broadside from their state to assistance a large International Cricket Council (ICC) title.

By the clip Wolvaardt’s innings was done, India’s women knew they were astir to spell 1 amended than their antheral counterparts, who likewise hosted the 2023 variation lone to beryllium denied by Australia successful the final.