Women’s World Cup 2025 Final, IND vs SA: Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma shine as India lift their maiden World Cup title.
Brief Scores: South Africa 246 (Laura Wolvaardt 101, Deepti Sharma 5/39) lost to India 298/7 (Shafali Verma 87, Deepti Sharma 58, Ayabonga Khaka 3/58) by 52 runs. India won the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025
Player of the Match: Shafali Verma (87 (78) & 2/36)
Player of the Series: Deepti Sharma (215 runs & 22 wickets)
It was third-time lucky for India in the Women’s Cricket World Cup final as they clinched their maiden title, defeating South Afriva by 52 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The India Eves ended their World Cup drought, thanks to inspired all-round contributions from Shafali Verma and spinner Deepti Sharma.
Talking Point: Deepti Sharma’s spell turns things around
After a crucial run-a-ball 58 with the bat, Deepti Sharma dropped a sensational performance with the ball as well. Earlier, her gritty knock helped India cruise close to 300. Later in South Africa’s chase, she scalped key wickets that included the keeper-batter Sinalo Jatfa.
However, she wasn’t that effective on the field and even dropped the dangerous Annerie Dercksen. She avenged herself in the 40th over with a yorker to scalp the prized wicket of Dercksen, making quick amends to her mistakes on the field. Deepti’s spell featured other key wickets like those of Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tyron. She was the one to put curtains of South Africa with the final wicket on the night, her fifth.
Read More: WWC 2025, SF 2, IND vs AUS: Jemimah’s exceptional 127* drives India into their third final
Khaka’s 3-fer restricts India’s total under 300
India Women were being put into bat first on the big night, with the match delayed by two hours. The wicket was expected to be tacky and aid swing, but the India openers negotiated the new ball threat with authority.
The pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were off the blocks quickly and made the powerplay overs count as they added 64 runs in that phase. Things slowed down post that as it took 44 more deliveries to reach the 100-run mark, and soon after, India lost their talisman batter Mandhana for 45.
Verma grew from strength to strength as she reached her half-century in 49 balls. Along with semi-final hero Jemimah Rodrigues, she added 62 runs for the second wicket. However, both fell in quick succession, and the rebuilding stage saw India’s run rate take a hit.
India took 112 balls to score 100 runs (150-250), and they needed impetus at the end to make a sizable total. Richa Ghosh’s 24-ball 34 and a run-a-ball 58 from Deepti were instrumental in India posting a competitive 298 in the final.
South Africa made a confident start to the run chase with the in-form Laura Wolvaardt leading from the front, even as Tasmin Brits took some time to get going. While they didn’t have a flamboyant start as India, South Africa reached 52/1 in the power play. The next 10-over phase was productive for the team as they added 61 runs, with skipper Wolvaardt getting to yet another fifty in a knockout game.
India got an unlikely bowling hero in Shafali Verma, who picked up two wickets in quick succession to get the team back in the contest. South Africa kept themselves in the hunt, courtesy of a cameo from Annerie Dercksen (35), who, along with Wolvaardt, added 61 runs for the sixth wicket.
Her dismissal triggered a collapse as Deepti removed the century maker Wolvaardt and dangerous Tyrion in the same over. De Klerk kept the hopes of South Africa for a while, but it was too little, too late.
Read More: WWC 2025: Decoding India’s successful chase in Navi Mumbai; Moments that turned the game their way
Statistical Highlights from India vs South Africa, 2025 Women’s World Cup Final
- Smriti Mandhana (434) went past Mithali Raj’s tally of 409 to become the leading run-getter for India in a single Women’s World Cup edition.
- The opening pair of Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma have crossed the 1000 partnership run mark for India in WODIs. They are the fourth opening pair to do so for India
- Smriti Mandhana & Shafali Verma combined to produce the third-best stand (104) for any wicket for India in Women’s World Cup knockout fixtures.
- Shafali Verma’s 87 is the highest individual score by an India batter in a Women’s World Cup final
- Shafali Verma is the youngest batter to score a half-century in an ICC Women’s World Cup final
- India Women put up 298-7; this is the second-highest team score in Women’s World Cup finals
- Laura Wolvaardt is now the top run-scorer (571) in a single edition of the Women’s World Cup. She went past Alyssa Healy’s tally of 509 runs in WWC 2022
- Deepti Sharma ended up as the leading wicket-taker in the Women’s World Cup 2025 with 22 scalps to her name
- Laura Wolvaardt became the second player, after Alyssa Healy, to register a hundred in both semi-final & final of the Women’s World Cup
- Shree Charani has the second most wickets (12) in the middle overs (11-40) in the Women’s World Cup 2025
- Richa Ghosh has smashed the joint-most sixes (12) in a single Women’s World Cup edition
Top Twitter Reactions from IND vs SA, Women’s World Cup 2025 Final
World Champions. At the stroke of the midnight hour India awakes to history. This is a moment in time that will change the course of the women's game.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 2, 2025
They’ve done it! All rise to the Women In Blue for their spectacular World Cup victory. In achievement and impact, stands alongside 1983 World Cup win by Kapil Dev’s team
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) November 2, 2025
Many congratulations to @BCCIWomen for winning the World Cup. Brilliant play. Deepti sharma what a player you are. Shafali well done 👏
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 2, 2025
Read More: Jemimah Rodrigues displayed exceptional grit in WWC 2025 semi-final: Story of her moment of glory
