Outclassing South Africa by 52 runs in the final of the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night, with 45,000 fans cheering them, India finally put an end to their long wait for an elusive World Cup crown. (ICC Photo) NAVI MUMBAI: The ending of the fairytale called India’s maiden Women’s World Cup triumph couldn’t have been more fitting. Chasing a low full toss, South African big-hitter Nadine de Klerk, who had smashed a 54-ball 84 not out in the league phase to inflict a three-wicket defeat on India, chipped the ball to extra cover, where Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur jogged backwards to take the catch. Having slammed a valuable half-century (58, 58b, 3×4, 1×6) earlier, Deepti Sharma took a five-for (5 for 39 in 9.3 overs), making the final her own with both bat and ball while fashioning India’s biggest-ever victory in womenâ€s cricket.Soon after, a 45,000-strong crowd, along with the Indian team, broke into celebrations, with Harman and the Women in Blue breaking into tears of joy.Finally, the Indian womenâ€s cricket teamâ€s ‘83 moment had arrived. Fighting back after suffering three defeats on the trot that had put their World Cup campaign in danger, India won the three matches that mattered to cross the line — at last, after numerous heartbreaks.Outclassing South Africa by 52 runs in the final of the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night, with 45,000 fans cheering them, India finally put an end to their long wait for an elusive World Cup crown. A billion hearts can now celebrate the Women in Blueâ€s memorable, historic, game-changing triumph for womenâ€s cricket in India for a long time to come — courtesy of a player who wasnâ€t even in the reserves!“God has sent me here to do something good,†Shafali Verma had said before India slayed giants Australia in the semifinals, thanks to a brilliant hundred by Jemimah Rodrigues.Unfurling a blistering, career-best 87 (78b, 7×4, 2×6), which helped India post 298 for six after being asked to bat first, and later taking two for 36 in seven overs, Shafali Verma — marking a fairytale comeback — played a massive part in India posting 298 for six after a two-hour rain delay, and then striking vital blows when South Africa looked to be cruising in their chase at one stage.Following up on a match-winning epic knock of 169 in the semifinal against England at Guwahati, South African captain and opener Laura Wolvaardt slammed another superb century (101, 98b, 10×4, 1×6). But when she was caught — in the fielder’s third attempt — by a sprinting Amanjot Kaur off Deepti in the 42nd over, the game was firmly in India’s grip.The Proteas crumbled under the pressure of a tall chase and a home crowd that cheered their team to the historic win all the way. Chasing 299, South Africa seemed to be coasting at 114 for two in the 21st over, before Shafaliâ€s twin strikes — she caught Sune Luus (25, 31b, 4×4) off her own innocuous-looking delivery, and had Marizanne Kapp (4) caught behind in her next over.Wolvaardt and fellow opener Tazmin Brits (23, 35b, 2×4, 1×6) had added 51 in 57 balls before Amanjot Kaur produced a direct hit to give India the first breakthrough. Soon, Anneke Bosch, who had a poor game as she dropped a sitter at deep mid-wicket off Shafali when the batter was on 57, was trapped on the back foot by Shree Charani for a six-ball duck.Banking too heavily on their in-form captain, South Africa were brought back into the game by Annerie Dercksen (25 off 37 balls), but Deepti yorked her in the 40th over to put India in the driver’s seat.Earlier, Shafali Verma’s blistering, career-best 87 (78b, 7×4, 2×6) and Deepti Sharma’s composed half-century (58, 58b, 3×4, 1×6), along with fine support acts by Smriti Mandhana (45, 58b, 8×4) and Richa Ghosh (34 off 24 balls, 3×4, 2×6), helped India post a challenging, yet slightly under-par total of 298 for six against South Africa in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.Asked to bat after a two-hour delayed start due to unseasonal rain, India were off to a flying start as Shafali, recalled for the knockouts after Pratika Rawal’s injury, and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (45), cheered by a vociferous home crowd of 45,000, added 104 for the opening wicket in 106 balls to lay the platform for a big total. It was just the second hundred-run opening stand in WODI World Cup finals.Playing delightful strokes, the duo brought up Indiaâ€s fifty in just 39 balls, as the tournament hosts raced away to 64 for no loss in 10 overs. Looking to take on the bowlers by charging down repeatedly, Shafali tonked two sixes down the ground — the second one off de Klerk being a treat to watch.Scoring her first WODI fifty in over three years — the last one came against South Africa too, in July 2022 — Shafali, who scored her fifth half-century off 49 balls, took the bull by the horns, taking the attack to the Proteas before falling short of her maiden century when she perished while trying to clear mid-off off the spirited Ayabonga Khaka, who was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 58 in nine overs and striking at regular intervals to keep South Africa in the game.Shafali’s 87 is now the highest-ever individual score by an Indian opening batter in a World Cup final — men or women, ODI or T20I. At 21 years and 278 days, she’s also the youngest player to score a fifty in a Women’s ODI World Cup final.The Proteas heaved a sigh of relief when Mandhana was caught behind while trying to cut Chloe Tryon, but Shafali, who hit the very first ball she faced in the final — from Khaka — for a four past point, kept going, adding 62 in 62 balls for the second wicket with semifinal centurion Jemimah Rodrigues (24 off 37 balls, one four).Striving for their maiden World Cup triumph like India, South Africa were also boosted by an economical spell by left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, who took one for 47 in 10 overs on a batting beauty, putting the brakes on India’s innings.Fighting back after India’s commanding start, South Africa did well to deny the tournament hosts a psychological 300-mark. Still, India recorded the second-highest total ever in a Women’s ODI World Cup final, behind Australia’s 356 for five against England in the 2022 World Cup.Striking in successive overs, Khaka removed Shafali and Jemimah (caught at extra cover), while Mlaba castled skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (20 off 29 balls), ending her promising 56-ball, 52-run partnership with Deepti Sharma for the fourth wicket.India were cruising at 223 for three in the 39th over when Harman was dismissed while trying to play a late cut. That blow saw them get just 75 in the remaining overs, mostly thanks to Richa’s lusty blows and her 35-ball, 47-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Deepti that brought the crowd alive. Richa had hammered a power-packed, fighting 94 off 77 balls when these two teams met in the group stage, and gave impetus to India’s innings on Sunday, smashing sixes off de Klerk and Kapp — a super shot over extra cover off a wide yorker.Anchoring the innings, Deepti stroked her 18th ODI half-century and third in this tournament before she was run out off the last ball.While their ground fielding was brilliant, South Africa dropped a couple of catches. They first let off Shafali when, batting on 53 in the 21st over, she slog-swept Sune Luus to deep mid-wicket, where Anneke Bosch fluffed the chance, and in the 40th over, skipper Laura Wolvaardt grassed Deeptiâ€s catch at long-on. In between, Marizanne Kapp dropped a slightly tougher chance off Deepti off her own bowling.
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