India’s women’s cricket team etched their name in history on Sunday, lifting their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup trophy after a commanding victory over South Africa in Navi Mumbai. Powered by Shafali Verma’s explosive batting and Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance, India triumphed by 53 runs to script an unforgettable finale.

After a two-hour rain delay, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first — a decision that India’s openers made them regret. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana gave India a dream start, racing to a century partnership within 18 overs.

The pair added 104 runs for the opening wicket, with Mandhana contributing a fluent 45 off 58 balls, including eight boundaries. Once she was dismissed by Chloe Tryon, Verma continued her assault, reaching her half-century in just 49 balls.

The young opener’s innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression — 87 runs from 78 deliveries, studded with seven fours and two sixes. Alongside Jemimah Rodrigues, she added 62 more runs before falling just short of a well-deserved century.

Despite a brief middle-order wobble, Deepti Sharma (58 off 51 balls) and Richa Ghosh (34 off 24) steadied the innings with a quickfire 47-run stand for the sixth wicket, guiding India to a formidable 298/7 in their 50 overs.

For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka stood out with figures of 3/56, while the rest of the attack struggled to contain India’s aggressive stroke play.

Chasing 299 under pressure, South Africa began well. Openers Tazmin Brits and skipper Laura Wolvaardt added 53 runs before Amanjot Kaur’s brilliant direct hit sent Brits (23) back to the pavilion. Anneke Bosch’s early dismissal for a duck soon after tilted the momentum in India’s favor.

Wolvaardt, however, fought valiantly — anchoring the innings with poise and precision. She found brief support from Sune Luus and Annerie Dercksen, putting together partnerships that kept South Africa’s hopes alive.

But Shafali Verma wasn’t done yet. The 21-year-old struck twice, removing Luus and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession to break South Africa’s resistance.

Despite wickets tumbling around her, Wolvaardt continued to resist, reaching a well-crafted century off 98 balls. Her valiant 101, featuring 11 fours and a six, was the lone bright spot in an otherwise faltering chase. Once she fell, the visitors’ innings collapsed from 220/7 to 246 all out in 45.3 overs.

Deepti Sharma was the star with the ball, finishing with exceptional figures of 5/38 in 9.3 overs — a match-winning spell that sealed India’s triumph.

As the final wicket fell, the Indian players erupted in joy — celebrating not just a victory, but a milestone moment in their cricketing journey.

From Shafali Verma’s fearless batting to Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance, India delivered a complete performance to claim their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title.

It was a night when dreams turned into history — and women’s cricket in India found its golden chapter.