Shafali Verma produced one of the most remarkable comeback stories in cricket history with a sensational display in the ICC Women’s World Cup final that secured India their first-ever world title. Drafted into the squad just ahead of the knockout stage, Verma rose to the occasion with a crucial 87-run knock—her personal best in ODIs—and later chipped in with important wickets that turned the game India’s way.
She was ably supported by Deepti Sharma, who earned the Player of the Tournament title for her consistent all-round brilliance. With this triumph, India finally ended their long quest for a maiden World Cup crown, handing South Africa a 52-run defeat, their third consecutive heartbreak in the summit clash of an ICC women’s event despite Laura Wolvaardt’s valiant effort.
India post a decent total on board
India amassed an imposing total of 298 for 7, marking their third-highest ODI score without a century from any batter. The innings was built on a strong start from the openers, who added a solid hundred-run stand. Although a rain delay of nearly two hours was expected to make batting tricky early on, Shafali Verma came out confidently, using her footwork to counter the movement and find the gaps with precision. Her aggressive intent set the tone for the innings as Smriti Mandhana too found her rhythm, striking a few crisp boundaries off Ayabonga Khaka to push India to 45 without loss in just six overs, energizing the home crowd.
South Africa, however, clawed their way back into the contest by tightening their lines and varying their attack. Their bowlers effectively slowed the scoring rate, conceding only 47 runs in the next ten overs even though India didn’t lose a wicket during that period. The breakthrough finally came through Chloe Tryon, who dismissed Mandhana to end the threatening partnership. Verma, undeterred, kept the scoreboard moving and brought up her half-century in fluent fashion. Jemimah Rodrigues, the hero from the semifinal, also added handy runs before both were dismissed in quick succession, with Verma agonizingly missing out on a maiden World Cup hundred by just 13 runs.
The dismissals of the set batters forced Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma to steady the innings. Their partnership was crucial in restoring momentum, though Harmanpreet’s departure at a key moment halted India’s plans of accelerating earlier. Amanjot Kaur failed to make a mark, leaving India momentarily under pressure. It was then up to Deepti and Richa Ghosh to guide the team through the final phase, and they did so superbly, pacing their innings with maturity and intent.
Richa, in particular, displayed exceptional composure and power, announcing her arrival with a lofted six over extra cover just two balls after walking in. She continued to find boundaries while Deepti anchored the other end, calmly bringing up her fifty. Their partnership revitalized India’s innings, pushing them close to the 300-mark. Despite a couple of disciplined overs from the South African bowlers at the death, India closed their innings at 298, putting themselves in a strong position heading into the chase.
Deepti Sharma and Shefali Verma bowl out South Africa
South Africa’s chase began cautiously as India’s opening bowlers maintained tight lines to concede only 12 runs in the first four overs. Tazmin Brits struggled to find any rhythm, stuck on 6 off 16 balls, before Laura Wolvaardt took charge of lifting the pace. She broke the shackles with a series of boundaries, including a couple of fluent drives followed by a six from Brits over long off. Momentum swung toward the visitors as Wolvaardt struck consecutive fours off Amanjot Kaur, guiding South Africa to 51 without loss in nine overs. However, Amanjot turned the tables almost immediately, producing a sharp piece of fielding to run out Brits with a direct hit.
Wolvaardt maintained her attacking approach, continuing to frustrate the Indian bowlers, but India began to fight back through wickets at crucial moments. Shree Charani trapped Anneke Bosch lbw for her third duck of the tournament, further denting South Africa’s momentum. After the dismissal, Sune Luus joined Wolvaardt to rebuild the innings, and their partnership saw a brief resurgence in scoring. Wolvaardt brought up yet another half-century, crossing 500 runs in the competition, while Luus looked confident at the crease. Yet, Harmanpreet Kaur’s tactical decision to introduce Shafali Verma into the attack in the 21st over completely shifted the narrative. Verma’s impact was immediate as she removed Luus with a simple return catch and then dismissed Marizanne Kapp an over later, triggering a stunning turnaround.
The collapse continued as Deepti Sharma joined the attack to further destabilize the South African batting order. She ended Sinalo Jafta’s tedious innings, tightening India’s grip on the contest. Hoping to rally, Annerie Dercksen provided brief fireworks by smashing consecutive sixes off a no-ball from Radha Yadav, reigniting faint hopes for her side. Alongside the set Wolvaardt, South Africa seemed to recover some momentum, but Deepti extinguished it once again with a perfect yorker that shattered Dercksen’s stumps. Her dominance grew as she soon dismissed the in-form Wolvaardt, who had just notched another classy century reminiscent of her semifinal brilliance.
Deepti’s relentless spell sealed South Africa’s fate when she trapped Chloe Tryon lbw a few balls later. The hosts’ bowlers had turned the tides completely, and the contest was slipping rapidly away from the visitors. Nadine de Klerk, who had stunned India in the league stage, offered brief resistance, attempting to recreate her earlier heroics. However, the mounting required rate and India’s disciplined bowling left her with little room to maneuver. South Africa eventually crumbled for 246, handing India a 52-run victory, with Deepti rightfully closing out the innings to complete a magnificent five-wicket haul that sealed India’s historic World Cup triumph.
Scorecard: India 298/7 in 50 overs (Shafali Verma 87, Deepti Sharma 58; Ayabonga Khaka 3/58) beat South Africa 246 in 45.3 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 101; Deepti Sharma 5/39, Shafali Verma 2/36) by 52 runs