Sports Desk, Bangladesh Global: Harmanpreet Kaur's Indian women's cricket team has made history! The side has become the first from the country to clinch the Women's World Cup title. Playing their third final after the heartbreaks of 2005 and 2017, Harmanpreet's team rose to the occasion in style - defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the title clash to script a watershed moment in Indian cricket. Indian women's cricket finally touched its Everest as years of toil and near-misses culminated in an evening of redemption and history for the hosts. Rewarding the team, the BCCI also announced a gran cash reward of INR 51 crore for the team.
India's breakthrough in the 13th edition of the global showpiece made them only the fourth team to win the trophy, joining Australia (7), England (4), and New Zealand (1) in the pantheon of champions. With the victory, Harmanpreet's team finally buried the ghosts of past heartbreaks - the 2005 and 2017 finals - and delivered India's much-awaited world title, a watershed moment for the game in the country.
After posting 298 for 7 - the second-highest total in tournament history - India held their nerve to bundle out South Africa for 246 in 45.3 overs. The Proteas' charge revolved around captain Laura Wolvaardt's magnificent 98-ball 101, but the brilliance of Deepti Sharma (55 and 5/39) and Shafali Verma (87 and 2/36) ensured India's moment of destiny could not be denied.
Fittingly, India's triumph was shaped by two players with contrasting journeys. Deepti, the ever-reliable workhorse, finished as the tournament's highest wicket-taker (21) and bowled with guile and grace on the grandest stage. Shafali, on the other hand, was a story of second chances - drafted into the squad from outside the preferred group after Pratika Rawal's injury.
Confined to domestic cricket with Haryana weeks ago, the 21-year-old dynamo returned to the world stage with an innings of audacity and maturity - 87 off 84 balls - before taking two crucial wickets to tilt the game decisively India's way.
Her re-entry into the XI proved a masterstroke as she and Smriti Mandhana (45) gave India the perfect launchpad with a 104-run opening stand, forcing South Africa's bowlers into disarray after a two-hour rain delay.
Mandhana's dismissal denied her a half-century, but it capped off a record-breaking campaign - 434 runs at 54.25, the most by any Indian batter in Women's World Cup history, including a century and two fifties.
Star of India's semifinal win over mighty Australia, Jemimah Rodrigues appeared to be settling in for another long haul in the middle, but a superb low catch from skipper Laura Wolvaardt at cover off Khaka foiled her plans in the 30th over. With two set batters back in the dugout, India's hopes were pinned on skipper Harmanpreet for a defining innings, but that was not to be.
South Africa began their reply briskly, with Tazmin Brits (23) and Wolvaardt adding 51 for the first wicket. But the breakthrough came via Amanjot Kaur's direct hit, and from there, India's bowlers tightened the noose.
Shree Charani's immaculate lines on a placid surface fetched Anneke Bosch's wicket, before Shafali's double strike rattled the middle order.
When Wolvaardt threatened to take the game away, Deepti struck twice in four balls - removing the Proteas skipper and Chloe Tryon (9) - to break the spine of the chase. She fittingly applied the finishing touch, dismissing Nadine de Klerk for her fifth wicket to spark celebrations of a lifetime.
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