A long wait of 47 years, unfulfilled dreams, and years of hard work. All of this was summed up in a single moment on Sunday night when the Indian women's cricket team, under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated South Africa by 52 runs to win the Women's ODI World Cup for the first time.
It was not just a victory, but the culmination of the hopes held in the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians. It was a victory that empowered half the population and set an example for those who aspire to achieve something.
IND W vs SA W: Indian women's team wins the World Cup for the first time
When South Africa's final wicket fell at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the entire nation echoed with chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai." With this victory, Indian women's cricket reached a milestone where it now stands at the top of the world.
India participated in the Women's World Cup (ICC Women's World Cup 2025) for the first time in 1978. India reached the finals in 2005 and 2017 under the captaincy of Mithali Raj, but lost the trophy both times. Ultimately, under Harmanpreet's captaincy, the team became world champions. This is the women's team's first ICC trophy. The men's team won the ODI World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev and in 2011 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Now, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the women's team has also achieved the title of world champion.
This victory will serve as a source of inspiration for generations to come. Batting first, India scored 297 for seven, the second-highest total in a Women's ODI World Cup final. In response, South Africa were all out for 246. Captain Laura Wolvaardt (101) scored a century, but could not lead the team to victory.
T20 World Cup memories revived
The women's team's victory also brought back memories of the 2024 T20 World Cup, when Rohit led India to their second T20 title by defeating South Africa (IND W vs SA W).
The Indian team celebrates on stage with the trophy after winning the ICC Women's ODI World Cup on Sunday at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Understand India's historic win in points:
Women's cricket has a new world champion after 25 years
India won its first World Cup trophy after 47 years
Defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the Women's ODI World Cup final
Indian women's team receives ₹40 crore
Rs 19.77 crore for runner-up D. Africa received ₹9.89 crore (98.9 million rupees) for the losing semifinal teams. ₹35.27 crore (35.27 million rupees) was awarded to the champion Australian team in the 2023 ODI World Cup (thus, receiving more prize money than the men's team).
Player of the Match: Shafali Verma
Stunning performance: Shafali Verma performed brilliantly with both bat and ball for India in this match. Replacing the injured Pratika Rawal, Shafali scored 87 runs and took two wickets. Deepti Sharma (58) also scored a half-century and took five wickets.
PM Narendra Modi also congratulated the daughters of India.
PM Modi said, "The Indian team's victory in the ICC Women's ODI World Cup final was remarkable. Their performance in the final was filled with incredible skill and confidence. The team displayed exceptional teamwork and perseverance. Congratulations to our players. This historic victory will inspire future champions."
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