India secured their maiden Women's ODI World Cup championship on Sunday with a commanding victory over South Africa at DY Patil Stadium, triumphing by 52 runs. Deepti Sharma delivered an outstanding all-around effort, contributing 54 runs with the bat before dismantling the opposition with figures of five wickets for 39 runs. The hosts posted 298 for seven across their 50 overs before restricting South Africa to 246 in 45.3 overs.
The triumph makes India only the third nation, alongside England and Australia to capture both men's and women's ODI World Cup titles. Shafali Verma sparked the batting effort with 87 runs and later claimed two wickets, while Richa Ghosh added 34. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt fought valiantly with 101 runs, recording her second consecutive century after her 169 against England in the semifinals, but received minimal support from teammates.
India's path to glory proved remarkable after losing three straight matches during the tournament and barely qualifying for the knockout stage. They stunned Australia in the semifinals before completing their fairytale run with this historic final triumph before an ecstatic home crowd at the Navi Mumbai venue.
The triumph makes India only the third nation, alongside England and Australia to capture both men's and women's ODI World Cup titles. Shafali Verma sparked the batting effort with 87 runs and later claimed two wickets, while Richa Ghosh added 34. South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt fought valiantly with 101 runs, recording her second consecutive century after her 169 against England in the semifinals, but received minimal support from teammates.
India's path to glory proved remarkable after losing three straight matches during the tournament and barely qualifying for the knockout stage. They stunned Australia in the semifinals before completing their fairytale run with this historic final triumph before an ecstatic home crowd at the Navi Mumbai venue.
