India’s first Women’s World Cup crown was sealed with a calm, seven-run win over South Africa in Mumbai on Sunday night. The squad’s immediate reaction mixed relief with quiet pride, and the noise from a near-full house at the Wankhede never really died down. Below is a flavour of what was said, followed by a brief look at what the result might mean for the side going forward.
Opener Shafali Verma, whose 112 from 86 balls set up the total and earned her Player of the Match, spoke first:
“At the start, I had said that God has sent me to do something special and that reflected today. I’m very happy that we’ve won the World Cup. I can’t express it in words. It was tough [coming into the tournament midway] but I was confident that if I keep self belief and stayed calm, then I can do anything. My parents, friends and my brother supported me immensely. Today, I was thinking that I need to make runs anyhow and that the team needed to win. My mind was quite clear and I batted according to my plans. I was happy they got executed. Smriti di was talking to me continuously, Harman di is always a supporter. Team-mates also supported me, they were very welcoming too. Seniors just said to play my natural game, not to move away from my natural game. [Sachin Tendulkar watching from the stands] It is a very memorable moment for me. When I saw Sachin sir, I got a special kind of boost. I speak to him occasionally, he gives me a boost always. Today also I got inspired just by seeing him.”
All-rounder Deepti Sharma, named Player of the Tournament after 15 wickets and 233 runs, offered a measured reflection:
“Honestly, this still feels like a dream. We have not yet got rid of the emptions. I am so happy to contribute in a World Cup final. I feel really glad. We just wanted to take the positive takeaways from every match. On the fans, I will say, they have come in huge numbers. I want to thank the fans, they have supported us in every match. This was not possible without them. As a team, we feel great after this result. I just want to enjoy every department. I like challenges. I had the bat and ball in my hand. I just had to play according to the situation, and I enjoyed a lot. What better a moment, on this stage, to perform as an allrounder for the team… can’t get better than this. [On Laura Wolvaardt] I think Laura played a very good innings. We were not relaxed. We were very calm, kept on cheering everyone up in the drinks break. As a bowling unit, we wanted to take it till the last ball. We just wanted focus on our best balls. and we did that. [On the changes she wants to see] There has been a lot of change after 2017 and I hope we get more matches. So that will be great.”
Seamer Amanjot Kaur’s decisive catch of Laura Wolvaardt in the deep – after an initial fumble – felt emblematic of a final that India refused to let drift. She admitted the nerves:
“Everyone playing knew how important Wolvaardt’s catch was. I guess I fumbled first time ever in my life, glad I got a second chance. That’s all, I don’t have words to express. [What does this mean?] This means a lot. You can see the crowd cheering. We have created history. This is just the starting, Indian cricket will be at the next level. We are going to dominate all over the world in every format. [Message to family] Congrats to everyone. My family, my coaches, whoever has family here or those sitting at home. My grandmother is not well, she is watching at home. [The support] I think it’s their victory as well. Because they came in huge numbers to support us. This is for you Mumbai, this is for everyone, this is for Pratika who missed out due to injury. I know how it feels to miss out a match due to injury. Not everything is good bu”
Key moments
• Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 143 for the first wicket, allowing India to post 268 for 7 on a used surface that held up nicely under lights.
• South Africa appeared favourites while Wolvaardt was in, her 97 anchoring the chase until Amanjot’s juggle at deep midwicket removed her with 29 still required.
• Renuka Singh Thakur’s final two overs cost just nine, leaving the Proteas needing 12 off the last over, which Deepti closed out with three sliders into the block-hole.
What it means
Historically, India’s women have threatened but not quite landed the major prize. This group have now cleared that hurdle. Domestic structures have already improved, and the Women’s Premier League has started to funnel more match-time to fringe names. Keeping that trend alive is the obvious next step.
Former India coach WV Raman suggested on air that the win “should put an end to any lingering doubts about the depth of the women’s game back home”. It is a fair point, but there is also a cautionary lesson from England’s 2017 triumph: rest too long on early success and the pack catches up quickly.
For South Africa, heartbreak may linger, yet they were finalists without frontline quick Shabnim Ismail, now retired. If the younger seamers learn from the death-over scramble, they should remain contenders.
Looking ahead
A two-Test, three-ODI tour of England in June gives India an early chance to show the title has not sated them. Shafali spoke of “keeping things natural”; maintaining that clarity, especially in the longer format, will be intriguing. Deepti’s plea for more fixtures is hard to ignore; administrators will come under pressure to lock in regular, high-stakes series, particularly against Australia.
As the stadium emptied, small clusters of young fans stayed behind, holding up hand-drawn signs for Mandhana and Verma. If India’s biggest sporting market truly embraces the women’s game, this result may be remembered less for the silverware than for the doors it nudged open.
