In a landmark night at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India’s women’s cricket team etched their place in history by clinching their first-ever ODI World Cup title. They outplayed South Africa by 52 runs in the final — a culmination of years of effort and near-misses.

India batted first and posted a robust 298 for 7 in their 50 overs, powered by a blistering 87 from Shafali Verma and a steady 58 from Deepti Sharma. In reply, South Africa were restricted to 246, with the Indian bowlers stepping up at crucial moments, especially Deepti Sharma’s all-round match-winning performance.

The significance of the win is immense: India had previously reached the final twice (in 2005 and 2017) but walked away without the trophy. This victory signals a turning point for women’s cricket in the country — on the field and off.