IND-W vs SA-W Final, Women's World Cup LIVE Score: India beat South Africa by 52 runs to lift maiden silverware

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she had a strong instinct that it was Shafali Verma’s day when she handed the ball to the opener as South Africa closed in on their chase of 299 in the World Cup final.

At the presentation ceremony, Harmanpreet stated, “When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good, and I just saw Shafali standing there. And the way she was batting today, I knew today's her day. She was doing something special today, and I just thought I have to go with my gut feeling. If my heart is saying I should give at least one over to her, I'm going to give her.”

“And then I just asked her, 'can you bowl one over?' And she was so ready, and she's always wanted to bowl for the team. I think that was a turning point for us,” she added.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi extended his congratulations to Team India for clinching their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title in 2025. He praised the team’s outstanding performance, unwavering determination, and strong sense of teamwork, noting that their victory has brought immense pride and joy to the entire nation.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi stated, "What a moment of pride! Our Women in Blue have made history and touched a billion hearts. Your courage, grit, and grace have brought glory to India and inspired countless young girls to dream fearlessly. You didn't just lift a trophy, you lifted a nation's spirit. Jai Hind!"

“Every World Cup we’ve gone into, there have been so many heartbreaks for all of us. But we always believed that we had a bigger responsibility - not just to win, but to keep growing women’s cricket. And honestly, just look at the support we’ve had over the last month and a half. It’s been incredible. To finally lift the World Cup today - I’ll take those 45 sleepless nights any day for this moment. That last World Cup was definitely tough for all of us to take. But after that, we had a clear focus - to get fitter, stronger, and better in every area. And honestly, what’s special about this team - and no one really talks about it - is how much we stuck together. Everyone supported each other, through good days and bad. We genuinely celebrated each other’s success. The team environment this time… it was just so positive, so connected. That’s been the biggest difference, I think,” she said.

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