India's Women Lift First-Ever World Cup Trophy
By: Mahadev Desai
In a landmark moment for Indian sports, the Indian Women's Cricket Team clinched their first-ever ICC Women's World Cup trophy, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in a thrilling final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on November 2, 2025.
The 13th edition of the ICC Women's World Cup was jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2. Eight nations - Australia, New Zealand, England, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Sri Lanka - competed across 23 round-robin matches, two semifinals, and the grand finale. Matches were held in Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo, offering fans a feast of cricketing drama, skill, and nail-biting finishes.
Prior to this Final, India had been a runner-up in 2005 and 2017 World Cup finals. This time also, India's journey to the title was anything but smooth. The team played nine matches in total - seven in the round-robin stage, followed by a semifinal and the final. Their campaign included:
Wins against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and New Zealand (via DLS method)
Three consecutive losses to South Africa (Oct 9), Australia (Oct 12), and England (Oct 19)
One washout against Bangladesh
A stunning semifinal victory over Australia. The nail-biting semi-final was a testament to the Indian team's fighting spirit.
A commanding win in the final against South Africa. This time, Women in Blue etched their name in history by clinching the coveted Women's World Cup 2025 Trophy.
India's batting lineup was led by:
|
Player
|
Runs Scored
|
|
Smriti Mandhana
|
434
|
|
Pratika Rawal
|
308
|
|
Jemimah Rodrigues
|
292
|
|
Harmanpreet Kaur
|
260
|
Top bowlers included:
|
Player
|
Wickets Taken
|
|
Deepti Sharma
|
22
|
|
Shree Charani
|
14
|
|
Kranti Gaud
|
9
|
Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Tournament, while Shafali Verma earned Player of the Match honors in the final for her all-round brilliance - scoring dashing 87 runs and taking 2/36. Deepti broke the record for the most wkts. taken in a single edition of the Women's World Cup.
Kudos to the India team's coach Amol Muzumdar for his skill, commitment, dedication and leadership which was instrumental in winning the maiden Women's World Cup 2025 Trophy.
"This means a lot - we have created history," said a jubilant Amanjot Kaur, 25-year-old all-rounder. "But this is just the start. We're going to dominate every format across the globe, and I'm glad we could do it when it mattered most."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the team's "spectacular win," praising their skill, confidence, and "exceptional teamwork and tenacity." He called it a "historic triumph" that would inspire future champions.
Cricket legends echoed the sentiment:
India's cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar: "This is a victory for the ages - one that will rank among the greatest in Indian cricket history."
Global Cricket Icon Sachin Tendulkar: "1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams. Today, our Women's Cricket Team has done something truly special. They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day. This is a defining moment in the journey of Indian women's cricket. Well done, Team India. You've made the whole nation proud" "1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams. Today, our Women's Cricket Team has done something truly special. They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day. This is a defining moment in the journey of Indian women's cricket. Well done, Team India. You've made the whole nation proud"
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Nov-06-2025