Mumbai roared in celebration as India lifted their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup trophy, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in a pulsating final at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night.

After a slight delay due to rain, India scored a commanding 298/7, with the stellar performance of Shafali Verma (87 off 78) and Deepti Sharma (58 off 58). Smriti Mandhana’s classy 45 off 58 and Richa Ghosh’s fiery 34 runs also provided vital support, and the Women in Blue capitalised on every opportunity.

South Africa began their chase confidently with skipper Laura Wolvaardt leading from the front. Her fighting century (101 off 98) kept the hopes alive till the final phase. However, India’s spinners turned the game on its head. Deepti Sharma 5/39 (9.3 Overs) and Shafali Verma 2/36 (7 Overs) delivered under pressure, tightening the screws in the middle overs. South Africa eventually folded for 246, falling short by 52 runs. Shafali Verma was named the ICC Player of the Match, and Deepti Sharma received the Player of the Tournament award for their stellar performances with the bat and ball.

With the win, fireworks lit up the sky as teammates celebrated a long-awaited triumph, avenging heartbreaks from 2005 and 2017.