The BRICS TimesDeepti Sharma, Shafali Verma Lead Host Nation to Thrilling Victory Over South Africa
Verma Leads from the Front
Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma guided India to a massive 52-run victory over South Africa. The ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 hosts successfully lifted their maiden trophy. Sharma propelled her country’s score to 298 for seven runs. Her composed 58 was crucial. She then returned with a match-winning five for 39 with the ball. This outstanding effort bowled South Africa out for 246. Verma had crashed 87 at the top of the order earlier. Her innings gave India a very strong start. Laura Wolvaardt answered back during the Proteas’ chase. She notched her ninth ODI century. However, Sharma eventually removed South Africa’s captain. The hosts then quickly finished the job. They became world champions for the first time. An ecstatic crowd in Navi Mumbai celebrated wildly.
A two-hour rain delay did not dampen the crowd’s spirits. India’s openers were keen to perform once play started. Verma hit the first boundary of the innings. She followed this with a glorious cover drive off Marizanne Kapp. Smriti Mandhana supported her partner with a flurry of fours. She took the score past 50 with an imperious flick in the seventh over. A beautifully timed six from Verma eased the pressure. That pressure was built by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nadine De Klerk. The openers took their stand past 100 runs. However, Mandhana fell two balls later. She was excellently caught for 45 by Sinalo Jafta. Mandhana tried to cut Chloe Tryon.
Verma reached her first ODI half century in three years. This happened soon after from just 49 balls. She got a life on 56 runs. Anneke Bosch dropped her at deep mid-wicket. That costly error gave away 31 runs. Verma finally fell for a powerful 87 off 78 balls. Ayabonga Khaka took her wicket. This ended her 62-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues. The same bowler then got India’s number three for 24. Wolvaardt took an excellent low catch. The dismissals of Harmanpreet Kaur (20) and Amanjot Kaur (12) kept the game in the balance. Mlaba and De Klerk claimed those wickets. The score was 245 for five in the 44th over.
Sharma batted well during the end of the innings. She reached her 18th ODI fifty. She was lucky on a couple of occasions. Both Kapp and Wolvaardt dropped her. Richa Ghosh smashed 34 runs from 24 balls. This helped India finish their innings strongly. She became Khaka’s third victim. Sharma was run out for 58. South Africa managed to keep the target below 300 runs.
Sharma Shines with the Ball
Sharma shines with the ball despite Wolvaardt ton
South Africa chased 299 runs for their maiden World Cup title. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits provided a solid start. Brits hit a boundary to bring up the 50-run partnership in the ninth over. But the 34-year-old was brilliantly run out. Amanjot Kaur effected the run-out five balls later for 23. Bosch was then trapped LBW for a duck. Sree Charani claimed the wicket two overs later. The Proteas were then 62 for two. Wolvaardt reached 40 runs midway through the 13th over. She also broke Alyssa Healy’s record of 509 runs. Wolvaardt’s 510 runs became the most at a single ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The 26-year-old reached her fifty from 45 balls with a four. Four more boundaries followed in the next 14 balls. Wolvaardt and Luus took South Africa past the three-figure mark.
Verma, India’s batting star, then became the bowling focus. She removed both Luus (25) and Kapp (4) quickly. South Africa was left struggling at 123 for four. The required run-rate was climbing high. Sharma sent Jafta back to the pavilion for 16. This dismissal made the spinner the competition’s leading wicket taker. She now had 18 total dismissals. South Africa needed a crucial late-order partnership. Annerie Dercksen and Wolvaardt provided one. Dercksen’s two brutal sixes helped them. They achieved a half-century stand for the sixth wicket. Sharma then blitzed through the lower order. She took three wickets in just eight deliveries. This fully swung the momentum to India.
Sharma dropped Dercksen on 24 earlier. She made up for her error by removing Dercksen for 35. She then claimed the crucial wicket of Wolvaardt. Wolvaardt fell for a brilliant 101. Amanjot Kaur took a brilliant catch in the deep on the third attempt. Tryon was then given out LBW. She became Sharma’s fourth victim. South Africa was 221 for eight. They were still 78 runs short with only 8.2 overs left. Khaka was then run out. De Klerk (18) tried her best. Sharma finally removed the last batter. That batter had hit an unbeaten 84 in their previous match. This completed Sharma’s five-wicket haul. It gave India a historic global triumph on home soil.
