Under the floodlights of a packed stadium and the watchful eyes of millions, India’s women’s cricket team etched its name into history on Sunday night, defeating South Africa by 52 runs to lift its first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup crown.
For captain Harmanpreet Kaur, it was a dream long visualized finally realized. On the eve of the final, she had said with a smile, “For big occasions, you don’t have to plan anything because we have visualised it and dreamt about it so many times.” Twenty-four hours later, as fireworks lit up the sky and the crowd erupted in chants of “India! India!”, those dreams came vividly true.
Opting to chase a challenging 299, South Africa’s hopes rested heavily on captain Laura Wolvaardt. She answered the call brilliantly, anchoring the innings with a gritty second consecutive century. But her heroics were not enough to fend off India’s relentless attack led by Deepti Sharma, whose stunning five-wicket haul sealed the historic victory.
The Proteas’ reply stumbled early. Tazmin Brits was dismissed inside the PowerPlay, and when Harmanpreet threw the ball to Shafali Verma, the gamble paid off instantly. The 21-year-old struck in her second ball in World Cup cricket, removing Sune Luus and then her Delhi Capitals teammate Marizanne Kapp. A jubilant Harmanpreet leapt into Shafali’s arms in celebration — a snapshot of joy that summed up India’s passion and unity.
While Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen briefly steadied South Africa with an aggressive stand, Deepti’s precision bowling tore through the middle and lower order. Her dismissal of Wolvaardt marked the turning point, and as she cleaned up the tail, India’s victory march began.
Earlier, India had posted 298 on the board thanks to a balanced batting display. Shafali Verma, recalled to the ODI side after a year’s absence, played with a newfound maturity, blending her natural aggression with control to score a composed half-century. Smriti Mandhana fell early, but partnerships through the middle order — particularly Deepti Sharma’s composed fifty alongside Richa Ghosh — ensured India built a defendable total despite a late flurry of wickets.
As Nadine de Klerk fought a lonely battle in the dying overs, South Africa’s resistance faded. The moment Deepti claimed the final wicket, the stadium exploded in celebration.
The triumph not only crowned India as world champions but also marked a defining chapter in women’s cricket — one of perseverance, evolution, and collective belief. As Harmanpreet held the glittering trophy aloft, her words echoed in the night: dreams, indeed, do come true.
