NAVI MUMBAI, November 3, 2025 — The long-cherished dream of Indian women’s cricket was finally realised late Sunday night as a fearless Team India, led by the mercurial Harmanpreet Kaur, outlasted South Africa by 52 runs in a captivating final to lift their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup crown.
While the nation celebrated the historic victory, it was the skipper’s powerful declaration that set the tone for the future. In an emotionally charged post-match ceremony, Kaur declared, “This is not the end – it’s the start of a new chapter. We wanted to break this barrier. And our next plan is to make this a habit.”
The journey from heartbreaks to history saw India post a formidable total of 298 for 7. In response, the Proteas were bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs, sealing India’s monumental triumph.
A Moment of Legacy
Kaur, who displayed a gamut of emotions from wild celebration after an epochal catch to an emotional embrace with coach Amol Muzumdar, ensured the victory was shared with the team’s pioneers. In a tear-jerking moment, the skipper called up two legends of Indian women’s cricket, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, to hold the coveted trophy, acknowledging their unfinished journey. Deputy Smriti Mandhana joined the hug with a heartfelt, “Didi, yeh aapke liye thaa (Sister, this is for you).”
The Gut Feeling
The final’s turning point came when Kaur, channelling a ‘gut feeling’ reminiscent of Kapil Dev’s captaincy, tossed the ball to the relatively inexperienced Shafali Verma. Verma, who had only bowled 14 overs in her entire ODI career, proved to be the trump card, taking two crucial wickets that sparked the South African collapse.
”When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good. I just saw Shafali standing there… I thought I had to go with my gut feeling,” Kaur explained. Verma, inspired by her idol Sachin Tendulkar who was in the stands, delivered on her captain’s faith, expressing her joy: “I said at the start that God has sent me here to do something nice, and that reflected today.”
With the barrier finally broken, Kaur’s declaration solidifies a new, aggressive vision for Indian women’s cricket: that this golden moment is merely the foundation for a dynasty.
