Tears, hugs, emotions take over! India celebrate their first ODI World Cup title

For years, Indian women’s cricket had waited for this moment. On a memorable night at the DY Patil Stadium, Harmanpreet Kaur’s India lifted their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup trophy, defeating South Africa by 52 runs to end a long wait.

As Deepti Sharma completed her five-wicket haul and Nadine de Klerk’s dismissal confirmed the result, Harmanpreet took the final catch and continued her stride as the crowd erupted in celebration. The stands came alive with cheers and tricolours waving across the stadium.

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Shafali Verma, who top-scored with 87 off 78 balls and took two key wickets, played a defining role in India’s victory. The result also ended India’s run of heartbreaks in the 2005 and 2017 finals.

Emotions were visible on the field as several players were seen in tears. Richa Ghosh hugged her captain, while Smriti Mandhana, Amanjot Kaur, and Renuka Thakur all were in tears.

Watch the emotional moments of celebration after the game

Harmanpreet and Mandhana, wrapped in the national flag, shared a moment of celebration in the middle.

In the stands, Rohit Sharma was seen applauding the team’s effort, while in the opposite dugout, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, who had scored a fine century, watched on with disappointment after her team’s strong campaign ended in defeat.

Earlier, India’s innings of 298/7 was anchored by Shafali’s fluent knock and Deepti Sharma’s composed 58, while Richa Ghosh added a valuable cameo in the final overs. In reply, South Africa’s chase began well but faltered under pressure, with India’s spinners tightening their grip as the innings progressed.

The win gave India their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title, a moment that capped years of steady progress and near misses. As the players stood together at the presentation ceremony, the significance of the achievement couldn't have been more iconic.