THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final, claiming their maiden world title in a comprehensive team performance. Shafali Verma earned the Player of the Match award for her explosive batting and handy wickets, while Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Tournament for her outstanding all-round contributions throughout the series.
South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt scored a valiant century but received little support from her teammates in the chase.
India posted 298/7 in 50 overs after being sent in to bat. Shafali Verma top-scored with a blistering 87 from 78 balls, putting on a 104-run opening stand with Smriti Mandhana. Deepti Sharma provided stability in the middle overs with a composed 58-run knock, while South Africa’s Ayabonga Khaka was the best bowler, taking 3/58.
The start given Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, India should have comfortably reached 350. But a hiccup occurred, Harmanpreet Kaur batted very slowly, playing tuk tuk , when rotatation was required. This created pressure as India slowly started to fall in run rate. Deepti Sharma stepped up with a fine half century. 298 was a par score.
In reply, South Africa was bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs. Laura Wolvaardt stood tall with 101 from 98 balls, her second successive ODI century, but lacked lasting partnerships as wickets tumbled at the other end.
Deepti Sharma delivered a match-winning all-round display, taking 5 wickets for 39 runs, the best-ever figures by a bowler in a Women’s World Cup final.
Shafali Verma was pivotal, not only with her 87 runs but also by claiming two crucial wickets, helping stem South Africa’s run-chase. This was master stroke by Harmanpreet Kaur, to get Shafali Verma to bowl and rightly earned her the Player of the Match award.
Deepti Sharma anchored India’s innings with a key fifty and then dismantled South Africa’s batting line-up during the chase. She finished as the tournament’s top wicket-taker and was the only player with both 200+ runs and 20+ wickets in a single tournament edition, marking her as Player of the Tournament.
Laura Wolvaardt was South Africa’s lone warrior, providing resistance with a captain’s knock of 101 runs. However, the rest of the batting order failed to contribute significantly, which ultimately cost South Africa in the high-pressure chase.
India’s 52-run victory crowned them the first Asian women’s team to win a world title across formats. The match featured standout batting and bowling performances that propelled India beyond previous heartbreaks in 2005 and 2017 finals.
South Africa, despite Wolvaardt’s heroics, fell short against a disciplined Indian bowling unit led by Deepti Sharma. This final marked a historic moment in women’s cricket, cementing India’s place at the summit and showcasing the emergence of young stars like Shafali Verma and all-round brilliance from Deepti Sharma.
