World Champions Team India (Pic credit: BCCI)
NEW DELHI: The moment Nadine de Klerk sliced a low full toss from Deepti Sharma towards extra cover, the nation held its breath. Harmanpreet Kaur, calm yet alert, timed her leap perfectly — walking backward, stretching her hands high, and clasping the ball that sealed India’s destiny. And then came the eruption. India were the new Women’s World Champions.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The DY Patil Stadium exploded in joy. Harmanpreet continued running — but this time, it wasn’t for a catch. It was a sprint of pure emotion. Deepti Sharma was the first to reach her captain, throwing her arms around her, soon joined by the entire team in a tearful, euphoric embrace. The Indian huddle became the center of the cricketing universe — a symbol of dreams fulfilled and heartbreaks avenged.At the other end, South Africa’s brave skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who had crafted a magnificent 101, sat quietly in the dugout, as the celebrations roared around her. On the stands, former Indian men’s team captain Rohit Sharma and ICC chair Jay Shah were seen clapping and smiling, soaking in a moment that would forever be etched in Indian sporting history.Fireworks painted the Mumbai sky blue as chants of “India! India!” echoed through the packed stadium. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana hugged coach Amol Muzumdar tightly, tears glistening under the floodlights.The official broadcaster captured it all — the leap, the roar, the hugs, the tears — captioning the winning moment video perfectly:“WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! Every ounce of effort, every clutch moment, every tear, all of it has paid off.”Click to WATCH the winning moment hereEarlier, Shafali Verma’s 87 and Deepti’s all-round brilliance (58 & 5 wickets) powered India to 298/7 before South Africa were bowled out for 246.As the confetti rained down, captain Harmanpreet Kaur summed it up best:“This is just the beginning. We’ve dreamt of this day all our lives — now, India has arrived.”
