Navi Mumbai: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and members of the Indian cricket fraternity hailed Team India as they ended their long wait for a world title, clinching their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup with a commanding 52-run win over first-time finalists South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
After stunning seven-time champions Australia in the semifinals with a record-breaking 339-run chase powered by Jemimah Rodrigues’ century and a Harmanpreet Kaur special, the Indian women — led by Harmanpreet — overcame the heartbreaks of 2005 and 2017 finals. A fine all-round show, highlighted by Deepti Sharma’s fifty and five-wicket haul and Shafali Verma’s 87 with two crucial wickets, propelled India to a historic triumph that could redefine women’s cricket in the country.
Celebrating the victory, Neeraj Chopra posted on X, “World Champions! Congratulations to the Indian women’s cricket team on winning their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup title. What a performance!”
Former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin wrote, “Congratulations @BCCIWomen, that was one hell of a campaign. Well done to the girls and the entire support staff led by @amolmuzumdar11.”
Ex-allrounder Irfan Pathan said, “Many congratulations to @BCCIWomen for winning the World Cup. Brilliant play. Deepti Sharma, what a player you are. Shafali, well done.”
Former opener Shikhar Dhawan added, “Incredible win by the women in blue! @TheShafaliVerma’s fearless batting and @Deepti_Sharma06’s all-round class made all the difference. Champions in every sense of the word!”
Batting first, India posted 298/7, with Shafali (87) and Deepti (58) anchoring the innings. Despite Laura Wolvaardt’s 101, South Africa were restricted to 246, thanks to Deepti’s 5/39 and Shafali’s 2/36.
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers praised both sides, saying, “Congratulations Team India. Hold your heads high, @ProteasWomenCSA. The global women’s game is booming… what a final, what a tournament!”
Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh wrote, “We are the champions! Well done Team India. We are so proud of you. Bharat mahan tha aur rahega hamesha. Jai Hind.”
Virender Sehwag lauded the team’s fighting spirit: “Champions! Har chauke, har wicket, apne jazbe se poore desh ka dil jeet liya! Proud of our World Champion girls. @ImHarmanpreet and her team have inspired a generation to dream, fight, and shine!”
Veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane added, “Your spirit, grit, and belief brought the World Cup home. Many congratulations to Team India!”
Former Australian great Adam Gilchrist also joined in, writing, “Congratulations, Team India, for winning the maiden World Cup. What a brilliant performance.”
After opting to bowl first, South Africa saw India build strong partnerships — a 100-run stand between Smriti Mandhana (45) and Shafali, followed by 62 runs between Shafali and Jemimah Rodrigues (24). Later, Deepti and Harmanpreet (20) pushed India past 200, while Richa Ghosh (34 off 24) added late fireworks to help India reach 298/7.
Ayabonga Khaka was South Africa’s best bowler with 3/58, but India’s all-round brilliance proved too strong on a night when history was made in Navi Mumbai.
