Mumbai, Nov 03 (V7N): India’s women’s cricket team lifted their first-ever ICC World Cup trophy, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final at DY Patil Stadium. The victory sparked nationwide celebrations, with players like Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma delivering standout performances on a historic day.

Deepti Sharma played a pivotal all-round role, taking five wickets for 39 runs and contributing a crucial 58 runs with the bat. Shafali Verma scored 87 runs and claimed two wickets, despite initially being outside the playing eleven.

South African captain Laura Wolvaardt had earlier scored a century in both the semi-final and final, setting a challenging total of 298. Despite her remarkable 101-run innings off 98 balls, South Africa was bowled out for 246, falling 52 runs short of India’s target. Key partnerships in India’s innings included a 104-run opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, and a 62-run partnership between Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues.

The Indian bowlers, led by Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma, ensured South Africa never recovered from early breakthroughs. Richa Ghosh’s late cameo added 34 quick runs to seal the victory.

The triumph allowed India to overcome past heartbreaks in the 2005 and 2017 finals. Emotionally celebrating after the match, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said, “We have waited years for this moment. Every team member contributed, and today India’s women have truly made history.”

This victory marks a landmark achievement in Indian women’s cricket, highlighting emerging stars and the growing strength of the team on the global stage.

This victory marks a landmark achievement in Indian women’s cricket, highlighting emerging stars and the growing strength of the team on the global stage.

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