India lifted their first-ever Women's Cricket World Cup after defeating South Africa by 52 runs at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
Winning the toss, South Africa chose to bowl, but India's openers gave the hosts a dream start. Shafali Verma (87) and Smriti Mandhana (45) put on a commanding 100-run partnership for the first wicket.
Despite a brief middle-order wobble triggered by Ayabonga Khaka's double strike, Deepti Sharma (58) steadied the innings with maturity, while Richa Ghosh (34) added late momentum. India finished on 298/7 -- the second-highest total in a Women's World Cup final. Khaka was South Africa's most effective bowler with 3/58, while Nonkululeko Mlaba, Nadine de Klerk, and Chloe Tryon took one wicket each.
Chasing 299, South Africa began well through openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, who compiled a fifty-run stand before a direct hit from Amanjot Kaur ran out Brits.
Sree Charani then trapped Anneke Bosch lbw, and though Wolvaardt and Sune Luus steadied the innings past 100, the momentum soon shifted.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's decision to introduce Shafali Verma into the attack proved crucial, as the part-timer dismissed Luus and Marizanne Kapp in successive overs.
Deepti Sharma followed up with a brilliant spell, triggering a collapse by removing Sinalo Jafta and later dismissing Wolvaardt, who top-scored with a valiant 101 off 98 balls.
At 209/5, South Africa appeared in contention, but Deepti's twin strikes in a single over -- claiming Wolvaardt and Tryon -- ended their hopes.
The visitors folded for 246 in 46 overs, losing their last five wickets for just 37 runs.
Deepti finished with outstanding figures of 5/39, while Verma and Charani chipped in with crucial breakthroughs.
The victory marked India's first Women's World Cup triumph after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017.
It was also the first final in tournament history not to feature either Australia or England.
For Harmanpreet Kaur's team, the win was the culmination of years of near misses and the emergence of a fearless generation of Indian cricketers.