‘Girls have done India proud’: From President Murmu to PM Modi, India celebrates women’s World Cup heroes

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has announced a cash reward of Rs 51 crore for the World Cup-winning Women’s cricket team.

“Put your hands together for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 winners,” BCCI Women wrote on X (formerly Twitter). It followed the cricket body’s, “Let the celebrations go long into the night,” appeal.

“Inspiration for generations to come, you’ve made every Indian proud with your fearless cricket and belief throughout. You guys deserve all the accolades and enjoy the moment to the fullest. Well done Harman and the team. Jai Hind,” India’s veteran cricketer Virat Kohli posted on X.

“A spectacular win by the Indian team in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Finals. Their performance in the final was marked by great skill and confidence. The team showed exceptional teamwork and tenacity throughout the tournament. Congratulations to our players. This historic win will motivate future champions to take up sports,” Narendra Modi wrote on X.

“1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams. Today, our Women’s Cricket Team has done something truly special. They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day. This is a defining moment in the journey of Indian women’s cricket. Well done, Team India. You’ve made the whole nation proud,” One of India’s most celebrated cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar, posted on X.

India’s woman with the golden arm, Deepti Sharma who took 5 wickets today with an economy of 4.11 was awarded the player of the tournament for an era-defining Women’s ICC World Cup 2025, which saw a new champion emerge and 2 record-breaking chases.

Shafali Varma who was not a part of the national squad till last week delivered a fantabulous performance in the final where she scored 87 runs of the 78 balls and took two vital wickets in the game to break some powerful partnerships for South Africa. In light of her amazing achievements in this game, Shafali Varma was recognised as the player of the match in the World Cup final today. With this, Varma became the youngest player ever to receive the player of the match award in a World Cup final.

India’s women in blue win World Cup for the first time. IND skipper Harmanpreet Kaur takes an incredible running catch towards the end of the 45th over to actualise the World Cup dream for Team India.

South Africa’s last minute game changer, Nadine de Klerk brought some life into the game as she hope to took the game to the last mile!

Team India drops two big catches back-to-back to give SA batters a much-needed lifeline, Kranti Gaud gets subbed due to a thumb injury. SA 232/8 (44.2)

Last of South African batters, Ayabonga Khaka and Nadine de Klerk put in their all on the field today as the players go the extra mile to rake in as many runs for SA as they can as the game proceeds into the death overs. Klerk smashed an impressive boundary in the last over to give a beffiting response to Team India. SA 231/8 (43.5)

Deepti Sharma bowled an impressive stunner that completely left Tryon baffled, thumped the batter on the front pad, and given! Immediately reviewed by Tryon! But Deepti, irrespective, is having a day out in Navi Mumbai, on India’s day of days! This is zipped in very full on leg stump. Tryon falls across a touch and then plays all around it. Smoked on the front pad and this looks pretty adjacent if there is no bat involved. Well, Tryon has missed this comfortably. Ball Tracking comes up and…shows the ball to be clipping the outside of leg stump. Umpire’s Call, and that Umpire’s Call has been celebrated across the length and the breadth of this nation. Tryon dejected, and that is another potentially decisive moment in this contest! SA 221/8 (42)

Deepti Sharma to Wolvaardt, OUT. Miscued a mile up, and Amanjot takes it, after multiple attempts! A juggling act that would have had a billion hearts beating faster, but it has been taken, and there is a roar at the ground! Given a bit of air on a length on the stumps. Wolvaardt’s eyes light up and she has an almighty mow at it. Gets under it too much, though, and Amanjot is in the game at deep mid wicket. She runs around to her left, and the ball initially seems to pop out. But Amanjot keeps her eyes on it till the end and manages to snaffle it with a fling of her right mitt, right as it is threatening to dash Indian hopes. What a moment in the game, and Wolvaardt walks back after another majestic World Cup knockout hundred! SA 221/7

SA skipper Laura Wolvaardt smashes her second and consecutive 100 in the World Cup. Demonstrating the point of leading by example to perfection, South African captain struck a superb century in the World Cup Final to score 101 from 97 deliveries. This makes her one of the only two women to ever accomplish such a feat. However, keeping the big picture in mind SA skipper refuses to celebrate much as she looks keen to go on to lead SA to victory! SA 218/6 (40.5)

Sharma to Dercksen, OUT. A corker of a yorker and Dercksen is a goner! Scrambled seam yorker at 86kph on off stump, Dercksen fails to get her bat down in time and Navi Mumbai roars in delight. A timely wicket for India, with South Africa just ticking away. SA 211/6 (39.5)

Keeping SA’s chances alive in the battle. Skipper Laura Wolvaardt smashed two back-to-back boundaries in the last over to retain SA in the battle for the trophy in this nail biter of a World Cup Final. SA 209/6 (39.3)

Harmanpreet Kaur’s on-field placements have been spot on, with attacking fields in the middle overs creating constant wicket chances. Her proactive shifts between overs are visibly unsettling the Australian batters. Furthermore, India’s Jemimah Rodrigues’ proactiveness in the field has saved the national side some very crucial singles and doubles in the game. SA 203/5 (38.5)

Dercksen’s arrival on the picth has offered some much needed support to Laura Wolvaardt who had alsot anchored the SA innings by herself for a good while. Dercksen looks to make room and play some big shots to bring SA’s run rate to safe levels before they eneter the critical overs of the game. Drecken smashed Shafali for a crackling four in the Shafali’s last over to bring SA back in the battle. SA 194/5 (37)

Dercksen deflected a delivery by Renuka towards midwicket near Deepti Sharma. Deepti immediately launches into a quick dive but mistimes her jump to end up dropping the catch. Despite the drop, the Indian side continues to maintain pressure on South Africa with compact bowling and tight ground fielding. SA 186/5 (36)

South Africa’s Dercksen smashed the longest and biggest six of the Women’s ICC World Cup 2025 in the last over to shake the dust off SA’s dream of listing their maiden World Cup trophy. SA 175/5 (33)

The latest batter from SA’s end Annerie Dercksen kick off her innings with some big shots to bring SA back into the final. Dercksen struck Radha Yadav for two back-to-back maximums that sent the ball sailing over to the stands. SA 173/5 (32)

No fumbles so far — India’s catching has been clean and composed under pressure. The outfielders, led by Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, have been quick to cut angles and save boundaries.

Deepti Sharma tosses the ball a little outside off and Jafta cannot resist the temptation to have a slog at it. Makes a complete hash of the connection, though, and the ball skews off the inside half. Radha, stationed straighter than usual, accepts the offering with glee, and half of SA’s side now back in the hut! Jafta departs for 16 off 29, Indian spinners seize the day. SA 150/5 (30)

The SA skipper at this point in the game represents everything good about SA’s batting so far. Laura Wolvaardt presently boasts 72 runs of 69 balls, being one of the few members of the squad to boast off a strike rate above 100 right now. Whilst Shafali’s overs paired with India’s overall spin attack launched an avalanche of wickets, Laura remained steady on the ground, bringing the resilience of South African cricket to life through her batting. However it looks like the skipper has got work cut out for her as she would still have to stay a while longer on the pitch if she aims to lead her side to their maiden World Cup win. SA 146/2 (29)

Smriti Mandhana (IND) topped the run-scorer list with 365 runs in 7 matches of the ongoing Women’s ICC Cricket World Cup. She broke the previous Indian record held by Mithali Raj.

SA wicket keeper batter seems to take her time to settle on the field as both the skipper and Sinalo Jafta realise that they need to bring some stability back to SA’s innings if the hope to take the World Cup trophy home. SA 134/4 (26)

Shafali Varma might just emerge as India’s savior in this World Cup final. The late entrant to India’s playing XI has now come through for the national side once again at the most critical moment by picking up two important wickets after scoring the highest amount of runs in the final of the tournament. Varma took out Kapp who followed Luus on the pitch and went out for 4 runs off 6 balls. SA 124/4 (23)

Shafali has broken the most dangerous looking partnership of South Africa in the final so far. This is beyond any script that could have been written, and Shafali can do no wrong! The leading run scorer for India in the World Cup final has now picked up one of the more important wickets to land SA in world of trouble. Angled in on a length just outside off, and this seems to hold in the surface. Luus wants to work it to leg but the lack of pace means she pops it rather tamely to the bowler. Shafali is smiling even before the ball gets to her, and she gobbles up the chance by stooping down low. Runs to her skipper straightaway, and Harmanpreet’s gamble has paid off handsomely! SA 118/3 (21)

Shafali has broken the most successful partnership of South Africa so far in the Word Cup final. The late entrant to the Indian playing XI Shafali can do no wrong! The leading run scorer for India in the final now picks up one of the mor eimportant wickets of the game. Angled in on a length just outside off, and this seems to hold in the surface. Luus wants to work it to leg but the lack of pace means she pops it rather tamely to the bowler. Shafali is smiling even before the ball gets to her, and she gobbles up the chance by stooping down low. Runs to her skipper straightaway, and Harmanpreet’s gamble has paid off handsomely! SA 118/3 (21)

Luus nails another sweep! Full outside off and just the length Luus wants for this stroke. She bends her back knee and pummels it to deep backward square leg’s left to score another boundary, marking the only on in Deepti’s latest over. SA 113/2 (20)