India’s wait for a world title in women’s cricket finally ended at the DY Patil Stadium, where Harmanpreet Kaur’s side defeated South Africa by 52 runs to lift their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup trophy. Shafali Verma’s composed 87 and Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance featuring a fifty and a five-wicket haul, powered India to a convincing win in front of a packed crowd that witnessed a defining moment for the sport.
As soon as Deepti completed her five-for to seal the victory, the celebrations began across the stadium and beyond. Former India captain Virat Kohli was among the first to share his pride on social media, writing, “The girls have created history and I couldn’t be more proud as an Indian to see the hard work of so many years come to life finally. They deserve all the applause and a big congratulations to Harman and the whole team for achieving this historic feat. Also congratulations to the whole squad and the management for the work behind the scenes. Well done India. Enjoy the moment to the fullest. This will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport in our country. Jai Hind.”His post featured the emotional caption and a snap of his television screen of the Women celebrating.
Virat Kohli’s post on Instagram after the win
Anushka Sharma also expressed her admiration, posting, “Champions of the world! Super women have made this historic moment happen! What a game! Love you girls.” Earlier, after being sent in to bat, India put up 298/7 in their 50 overs. Shafali’s 87 from 78 balls laid the platform before Deepti’s composed 58 and Richa Ghosh’s quick-fire 34 took India close to the 300-mark.
Anushka Sharma’s comment for the victors
Smriti Mandhana contributed 45, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur added 20 during a steady middle phase. South Africa’s captain Laura Wolvaardt led the chase with a fluent 101 but lacked support at the other end.
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Deepti Sharma’s spin proved decisive, as she returned 5/39, while Shafali also picked two wickets. The Proteas were bowled out for 246 in 45 overs. It was a moment of closure for a team that had come close in 2005 and 2017 but fell short. This time, they held firm under pressure to script history in a result that could redefine the future of women’s cricket in India.
