Navi Mumbai, 03 November (Sports Desk)
🏆 INDIA vs SOUTH AFRICA | ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 FINAL 🏆
INDIA WINS BY 52 RUNS! Historic Maiden Title for Hosts | Shafali’s All-Round Fireworks Seals Glory
Venue: DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai Date: November 2, 2025 (D/N, Rain-Delayed by 2 Hours) Result: India beat South Africa by 52 runs Player of the Match: Shafali Verma (India) – 87 (78) & 2/36 Player of the Tournament: Deepti Sharma (India) – Leading Wicket-Taker with 24 Wickets Toss: South Africa won & elected to field first Attendance: 45,000 (Sold-Out, Electric Crowd) Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) & Jacqueline Williams (WI)
Match Summary
In a rain-interrupted but unforgettable final, India posted a mammoth 298/7 – the second-highest total in a Women’s ODI World Cup final – powered by Shafali Verma’s explosive 87 and Deepti Sharma’s gritty 58. South Africa, chasing a record 299, started strongly with Laura Wolvaardt’s defiant 101, but Deepti’s match-winning 5/39 triggered a collapse from 209/5 to 246 all out in 45.3 overs.
Shafali, the late inclusion after an injury reshuffle, starred with bat and ball, while Deepti’s all-round brilliance (58 & 5-fer) earned her Player of the Tournament honors. This victory ends India’s 20-year wait for the ODI crown, following heartbreaks in 2005 (vs Aus) & 2017 (vs Eng). A new era dawns for women’s cricket in India!
India Innings (298/7 in 50 overs)
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shafali Verma | c Bosch b Khaka | 87 | 78 | 9 | 2 | 111.54 |
| Smriti Mandhana | c Wolvaardt b Tryon | 45 | 52 | 6 | 1 | 86.54 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | c Luus b Khaka | 24 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 85.71 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (c) | b Mlaba | 20 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Deepti Sharma | c Dercksen b Khaka | 58 | 60 | 5 | 1 | 96.67 |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | c Kapp b Khaka | 34 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 141.67 |
| Amanjot Kaur | run out (Wolvaardt) | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Radha Yadav | not out | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 166.67 |
| Kranti Gaud | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Shree Charani | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Renuka Singh | DNB | – | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (lb 5, w 8) | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 298/7 (RR: 5.96) | – | – | – | – | – |
Fall of Wickets: 100-1 (Mandhana, 18.4 ov), 150-2 (Rodrigues, 26.2 ov), 180-3 (Verma, 32.5 ov), 223-4 (Kaur, 39.1 ov), 232-5 (A Kaur, 41.3 ov), 285-6 (Ghosh, 48.2 ov), 292-7 (D Sharma, 49.2 ov)
South Africa Bowling:
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayabonga Khaka | 10 | 0 | 58 | 3 | 5.80 |
| Nonkululeko Mlaba | 10 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 5.20 |
| Chloe Tryon | 10 | 0 | 60 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Nadine de Klerk | 8 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 6.88 |
| Masabata Klaas | 7 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 6.43 |
| Marizanne Kapp | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 4.60 |
Shafali-Mandhana’s 100-run opening stand set the tone; Deepti’s 52-run partnership with Kaur rebuilt momentum.
South Africa Innings (Target: 299 | 246 all out in 45.3 overs)
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Wolvaardt (c) | c Mandhana b Charani | 101 | 112 | 10 | 1 | 90.18 |
| Tazmin Brits | run out (A Kaur) | 18 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 81.82 |
| Anneke Bosch | c Ghosh b Singh | 25 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 80.65 |
| Sune Luus | b Verma | 25 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Marizanne Kapp | c Rodrigues b Verma | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Annerie Dercksen | b Sharma | 35 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Nadine de Klerk | c Kaur b Sharma | 12 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Chloe Tryon | lbw b Sharma | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 53.33 |
| Ayabonga Khaka | c Verma b Sharma | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 |
| Nonkululeko Mlaba | b Sharma | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Masabata Klaas | not out | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | (lb 6, w 5) | 11 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 246 all out (RR: 5.42) | – | – | – | – | – |
Fall of Wickets: 45-1 (Brits, 8.2 ov), 97-2 (Bosch, 18.4 ov), 149-3 (Luus, 27.1 ov), 153-4 (Kapp, 28.2 ov), 209-5 (Dercksen, 39.3 ov), 215-6 (de Klerk, 41.1 ov), 225-7 (Tryon, 42.3 ov), 241-8 (Khaka, 44.5 ov), 246-9 (Mlaba, 45.2 ov), 246-10 (Sharma, 45.3 ov)
India Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deepti Sharma | 9.3 | 0 | 39 | 5 | 4.13 |
| Shafali Verma | 8 | 0 | 36 | 2 | 4.50 |
| Shree Charani | 10 | 1 | 48 | 1 | 4.80 |
| Renuka Singh | 7 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 6.43 |
| Radha Yadav | 6 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 6.33 |
| Amanjot Kaur | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 6.67 |
| Kranti Gaud | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
Deepti’s spell (Overs 39-45): 5/15 – Dismantled the lower order; Shafali’s twin strikes (Luus & Kapp) broke a dangerous 52-run stand.
Key Highlights & Turning Points
- Powerplay Power (1-10 overs): Shafali (87) & Mandhana (45) smashed 100 runs, punishing wide lines; SA dropped Shafali on 56.
- SA Fightback (Overs 25-40): Khaka’s 3/58 (incl. Shafali & Rodrigues) restricted India to 223/3, but Deepti’s 58 anchored.
- Ghosh’s Late Surge: 34 off 24 (3×4, 2×6) pushed India to 298/7 – highest WC final total since 2005.
- Wolvaardt’s Lone Warrior (Overs 1-30): Captain’s 101 anchored SA to 149/3, but partnerships crumbled.
- Shafali’s Golden Arm (27.1-28.2 ov): Dismissed Luus (25) & Kapp (4) – Turned 149/2 to 153/4, momentum shift!
- Deepti’s Demolition (39.3-45.3 ov): 5/15 burst (Dercksen, de Klerk, Tryon, Khaka, Mlaba) – SA collapsed chasing 90 off last 10.
- Final Nail: Deepti yorked Mlaba; Harmanpreet took the catch – Bedlam in Navi Mumbai!
Post-Match Quotes:
- Shafali Verma (POTM): “Didn’t expect to play the final a week ago, but this is for India. My 87 & wickets – dream come true!”
- Deepti Sharma (Player of the Tournament): “Batted to steady, bowled to win. 24 wickets & a fifty – emotional!”
- Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain): “From 2005 & 2017 heartbreaks to this – belief paid off. Shafali & Deepti are superstars.”
- Laura Wolvaardt (SA Captain): “101 not enough; Deepti was unplayable. Proud of fight, but India deserved it.”
Stats Spotlight:
- Highest WC Final Chase Attempt: 299 (beats 2005’s 259).
- Shafali: 1st POTM with 80+ runs & 2+ wickets in a WC final.
- Deepti: Most 5-fers in WC history (2); 1st all-rounder with 50+ runs & 5+ wkts in a final.
- India’s Odyssey: 8 wins in tournament; unbeaten run ends SA’s 3-peat final curse.
Trophy Presentation: BCCI’s Jay Shah hands cup to Harmanpreet; Fireworks light up Navi Mumbai till midnight!
