Former India men's team captain Virat Kohli congratulated the women's cricket team on beating South Africa for the World Cup title on Sunday, November 2 in Navi Mumbai. Kohli took to social media to convey his message, saying he hasn't been more proud as an Indian following Harmanpreet Kaur-led side's 52-run win.
India beat South Africa in the final to secure their first title on the third attempt. Kohli stated that he was happy to see the hardwork finally paying off for the women's team. The star batter congratulated Harmanpreet & co for becoming 'World Champions' alongside the support staff.
"The girls have created history and I couldn’t be more proud as an Indian to see the hard work of so many years come to life finally. They deserve all the applause and a big congratulations to Harman and the whole team for achieving this historic feat. Also congratulations to the whole squad and the management for the work behind the scenes. Well done india. Enjoy the moment to the fullest. This will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport in our country. Jai hind," said Kohli.
India Etch Their Name In History Books
The Women's ODI World Cup saw a different name on the winner's table for the first time since 2000. Australia who were seven-time winners, were ousted in the semi-finals by India and the Women In Blue came to the party when it mattered the most.
After the winning the toss, Proteas opted to field but the decision backfired as Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana stitched a 104-run partnership. However, the hosts' momentum derailed after the dismissals of Jemimah Rodrigues and Mandhana as well as Harmanpreet Kaur, but Deepti Sharma's 58 ensured they were on the right track.
Richa Ghosh added a late cameo of 34 off 24 balls, as India posted a challenging 298 to chase.
Proteas women began steadily in the run-chase with tournament's leading run-getter Laura Wolvaardt at the thick of it. However, Shafali's golden arm did the trick as she plucked the wickets at crucial intervals, to bring India right back into it.
Wolvaardt and Delmi Tucker Dercksen gave SA-W slight hope but Deepti ensured there wasn't any momentum with the Proteas with two quick wickets. Nadine de Klerk's short resistance failed as Harmanpreet Kaur took the final catch, sealing a memorable win for India and crowning them as World Champions.
