India created history by winning their first ever ICC Women’s World Cup title, beating South Africa by 52 runs in a rain-affected final packed with emotion, drama and brilliant performances.
Shafali Verma delivered a career-defining performance, scoring 87 runs (her highest ODI score) and later picked the key wickets to turn the match in India’s direction. Her fearless batting set the tone for the innings and her timely breakthroughs with the ball sealed the deal.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali gave India a dream start with an opening century stand, frustrating the South African bowlers who tried every trick to break the rhythm. After their dismissals, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh kept the scoreboard ticking to help India reach 298 for 7, their third highest ODI total without an individual hundred.
Deepti Sharma, who was later named Player of the Tournament, played a complete match. She smashed 58 runs with the bat and followed it up with a stunning five-wicket haul, making her the standout performer of the evening.
South Africa started the chase confidently, led by captain Laura Wolvaardt’s stylish century. Wolvaardt exceeded the 500 points mark in the tournament and continued her good form. But despite her brilliance, the Indian bowlers kept their nerves in check and fielders supported them with crisp catches and direct hits.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s bold move to hand the ball to Shafali proved crucial as she dismissed key batters to change the momentum. From there, Deepti took charge and cleaned up the middle and lower order. South Africa were bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs to finish second in an ICC women’s event for the third time in a row.
The packed home crowd roared with joy as India celebrated their long-awaited triumph. For Shafali Verma, who has faced ups and downs in her young career, this was the ultimate redemption – a feat that will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in women’s cricket.
#India #creates #history #takes #Maiden #ICC #Womens #World #Cup #level #52run #win #South #Africa