India claimed its first-ever Women's Cricket World Cup championship on Sunday with a 52-run triumph against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The victory sparked widespread celebration across the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising the squad's performance and predicting the achievement would inspire future generations of athletes.
The host nation compiled 298 for seven in its allotted 50 overs, establishing the foundation through an opening partnership of 100 runs between Smriti Mandhana, who scored 45, and Shafali Verma, who contributed 87. Deepti Sharma added 58 while Richa Ghosh chipped in with 34. South Africa appeared competitive early in their chase as captain Laura Wolvaardt reached her 39th one-day international half-century and ultimately finished with 101. However, the Proteas collapsed to 246 all out in 45.3 overs.
Sharma proved instrumental with the ball, claiming five wickets for 39 runs, while Verma captured two for 36. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's tactical deployment of Verma as a bowler proved decisive, as she dismissed Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession to shift momentum permanently toward India.
The host nation compiled 298 for seven in its allotted 50 overs, establishing the foundation through an opening partnership of 100 runs between Smriti Mandhana, who scored 45, and Shafali Verma, who contributed 87. Deepti Sharma added 58 while Richa Ghosh chipped in with 34. South Africa appeared competitive early in their chase as captain Laura Wolvaardt reached her 39th one-day international half-century and ultimately finished with 101. However, the Proteas collapsed to 246 all out in 45.3 overs.
Sharma proved instrumental with the ball, claiming five wickets for 39 runs, while Verma captured two for 36. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur's tactical deployment of Verma as a bowler proved decisive, as she dismissed Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp in quick succession to shift momentum permanently toward India.
