India Vs South Africa Women Final: Harmanpreet Kaur’s Bold Decision Turned the Tide of the World Cup Final

India Women vs South Africa Women Final Highlights: The Indian women's cricket team has won the Women's World Cup 2025 title by defeating South Africa. Team India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has created history by winning their first ICC title. The Indian team became the new world champion by registering a 52-run victory against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night.

The Indian captain attributed the decision to have Shafali Verma bowl as the turning point of the match. Shafali, in addition to her explosive innings of 87 runs off just 78 balls in the final, also bowled 7 overs and took the crucial wickets of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp. For this stellar performance, Shafali was awarded the Player of the Match title.

‘Motivated the team after losing three consecutive matches’

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, expressing gratitude to the spectators after the match, said, "Thank you for standing by us through all our ups and downs. The credit for this victory goes to our entire cricket team, the BCCI, the selectors, and all the countrymen." When asked how she motivated the team after three consecutive losses, Harman said, "Even though we lost three consecutive matches, we knew that there was something special in this team that could change the course of the match. So I think the credit goes to every member. They remained positive. They knew what we had to do in the next three matches. I think this team deserves to be there."

‘This was the turning point for us’

Regarding Shafali, Kaur said, "When Laura and Sune were batting, I just saw Shafali standing there. The way Shafali batted today, I knew it was her day. She was doing something special today. And I thought I should listen to my inner voice. If my heart tells me that I can give her at least one over, I will give it to her. Then I asked her if she could bowl an over. She said she was absolutely ready. I think this was the turning point for us. I think the credit goes to her, she was very positive."

‘They got a bit nervous in the end’

Do you think a score of 298 was enough? To this, Harman replied, "No, actually, the pitch today was completely different due to the rain and the overhead conditions. We knew this score was enough for a final match, as there is always a little extra pressure in a final. But still, we must give credit to the South African team. They batted brilliantly. They got a bit nervous in the end, and that's where we gained control of the match. Deepti also came in at the right time and took important wickets."

‘This is just the beginning’

Is this the start of something big? To this, she said, "Absolutely, this is the beginning. We wanted to break this barrier. Now our next plan is to make it a habit. Because, you know, we were waiting for this moment. Now this moment has arrived. Now let's complete it. There is a World Cup next year, and then the Champions Trophy as well. We want to keep getting better day by day. This is not the end. This is just the beginning, and we just want to keep giving our best."