Forty-two years after Kapil Dev’s unfancied Indian men’s team stunned Clive Lloyd’s mighty West Indies at Lord’s and changed the sporting identity of a nation, India stood on the brink of another generational shift at the start of Sunday’s ICC Women’s World Cup final against South Africa. As soon as Harmanpreet Kaur held on to the catch to dismiss Nadine de Klark to bundle the Proteas out for 246 in their chase of 299, that moment finally arrived at the stroke of midnight!
If 1983 proved that India could belong on the world stage, 2025 proved that women could own it. The heroes this time, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, may now do for young girls what Kapil, Gavaskar, Amarnath and company did for an entire generation of boys by reshaping aspirations and making themselves household names in India.
Recalled to India’s World Cup squad as a late injury replacement ahead of the knockouts, Shafali Verma picked the grandest stage of all to deliver her finest ODI innings with a sublime 87 and then dented South Africa’s chase with two key breakthroughs. Deepti Sharma was equally monumental, producing a match defining all-round effort with a vital 58 and a five-wicket haul, as India outsmarted the Proteas by 53 runs, despite Laura Wolvaardt’s majestic century at the DY Patil Cricket Academy in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
INDIA WOMEN CREATE HISTORY, WIN FIRST-EVER CRICKET WORLD CUP
A full house that waited through a two-hour rain delay was rewarded with a blistering Indian start as Shafali and Smriti Mandhana powered their way to 104 inside 18 overs. Shafali took charge early, clearing the field with authority, while Smriti grew into the innings, helping India rocket to 50 in just six overs. South Africa finally broke through when Chloe Tryon removed Mandhana for 45, but Shafali continued unfazed, bringing up her fifth ODI half-century and first since July 2022, off just 49 balls.
After surviving a dropped chance on 57, Shafali looked set for a maiden World Cup hundred before Ayabonga Khaka ended her innings on 87 (78 balls, 7×4, 2×6). Jemimah Rodrigues (24) and Harmanpreet Kaur (20) added useful runs before the innings slowed, but Deepti Sharma revived the momentum with a run-a-ball 58, while Richa Ghosh smashed 34 off 24 balls to lift India to 298/6.
Earlier, South Africa chose to bowl, banking on evening dew and a revised target if rain returned, conditions that never arrived.
In reply, Wolvaardt, who had almost single-handedly taken South Africa into the final with an unbeaten 169 in the semifinal, once again shouldered the pressure. She and Tazmin Brits put on 51 for the opening stand before a sharp direct hit from Amanjot Kaur sent Brits back for 23. Sree Charani then trapped Anneke Bosch for her third duck of the tournament, reducing South Africa to 62/2.
Wolvaardt counter-attacked, bringing up her 39th ODI fifty off 45 balls, and with Sune Luus (25) helping rebuild, South Africa looked steady again until a surprise bowling change flipped the game. Shafali Verma, still buzzing from her batting effort, struck with her first spell, removing Luus with a simple return catch before dismissing Marizanne Kapp for 4. The crowd that rose for her batting now roared for her bowling.
Still, Wolvaardt remained unshaken. As wickets fell around her, she marched past her hundred off 96 balls. With 88 required off the final 10 overs and four wickets in hand, Tryon joined Wolvaardt for the final push. But Deepti Sharma turned the match firmly India’s way, first dismissing Wolvaardt after a juggling catch from Amanjot, then trapping Tryon leg-before three balls later.
From 221/6, South Africa crashed to 221/8 and with de Klerk unable to repeat her Visakhapatnam heroics, the chase fell apart under pressure.
Brief Scores: India 298/6 (Shafali Verma 87, Deepti Sharma 58, Richa Ghosh 34; Ayabonga Khaka 3/58) beat South Africa 246 (Laura Wolvaardt 101, Annerie Dercksen 35; Deepti Sharma 5/39, Shafali Verma 2/36) by 52 runs.