India first team to win Women's World Cup despite losing three games
36-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur the oldest skipper to win the tournament
It was first-ever women's final not featuring Australia and England
Hours after the Indian women's cricket team became champions of the world for the first time, the emotions are still raw and the jubilation unrestrained. After a series of near-misses and heartbreaks over the past two decades, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co set the record straight and kept their date with history.
The co-hosts beat South Africa by 52 runs in the final, which was marked by game-changing contributions from Shafali Verma (87 off 78 and 2/36) and Deepti Sharma (58 off 58 and 5/39). The match, which was the first-ever women's final not featuring Australia and England, also saw a number of landmarks being achieved and several fresh records being broken.
Let us take a look at some eye-catching stats from the historic India vs South Africa, ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 final that you might have missed out on:
Shafali Verma's Unique Feat
Her all-round performance earned Shafali the Player of the Match award. At the age of 21 years and 279 days, she is the youngest to win the laurel in the semi-final or final of any ODI World Cup edition, be it men's or women's.
Laura Wolvaardt's Run-Fest
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt couldn't take her team to victory despite a valiant hundred in the title clash, but her run-scoring spree in the tournament fetched her a world record. With a tally of 571 runs, Wolvaardt surpassed Alyssa Healy's aggregate of 509 to register the most runs in a single edition of the Women's World Cup.
India's Topsy-Turvy Ride
While all and sundry are lauding India's triumphant campaign now, things weren't as straightforward in the group stage. They lost back-to-back games to South Africa, Australia and England to teeter on the edge of elimination before turning the tide. It is the first time in history that a women’s 50-over World Cup has been won by a team that lost thrice in the tournament. It has happened only twice in the men’s marquee event: Pakistan in 1992 and England in 2019.
Deepti Sharma's All-Round Brilliance
Not only did Deepti play a pivotal role in the final, but she was central to India's fortunes throughout, scalping a tournament-high 22 wickets and totalling 215 runs. She is the first player to hit a fifty as well as bag a five-wicket haul in a one-day international World Cup knockout game, men's or women's.
Harmanpreet Kaur Proves Fifth Time Lucky
Having debuted in the 2009 edition of the ICC Women's World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur had to wait 16 long years and endure numerous heartbreaks, including a narrow defeat in the 2017 final at Lord's, before she laid her hands on the elusive trophy. Aged 36 years 239 days, Harmanpreet is the oldest skipper to win the Women's World Cup.
