Shafali, Deepti and Harmanpreet etch their names in Women’s World Cup record books
Youngest Player of the Match, oldest World Cup winning captain, and historic all round feats highlight India’s golden night in Navi Mumbai
India, Nov 3 : India’s historic ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 triumph at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai was not just a victory it was a record breaking night led by three extraordinary performances from Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
At just 21 years and 279 days, Shafali Verma became the youngest cricketer ever men or women to win the Player of the Match award in a semifinal or final of an ODI World Cup. Her match-winning knock of 87 and crucial two wickets in the final against South Africa underscored her emergence as the new face of Indian women’s cricket.
Meanwhile, 36 year old Harmanpreet Kaur etched her name in history as the oldest captain to lift the ICC Women’s World Cup trophy, guiding India to their maiden title after near misses in 2005 and 2017. Under her leadership, India also became the first team in Women’s ODI World Cup history to win the title despite losing three matches during the tournament a feat achieved only twice before in the men’s game, by Pakistan in 1992 and England in 2019.
The night, however, belonged to Deepti Sharma, who produced one of the greatest all round performances in World Cup history. Scoring 58 runs and taking 5 wickets for 39 runs, Deepti became the first cricketer men or women to score a fifty and claim a five-wicket haul in a World Cup knockout match. She also became the first Indian woman to achieve this feat in ODIs, and only the second Indian overall, after Yuvraj Singh’s memorable performance against Ireland in 2011.
Adding another feather to her cap, Deepti became the first player in any ODI World Cup edition to register a double of 200 runs and 20 wickets, sealing her legacy as one of India’s greatest all rounders.
For Deepti, the 2025 final was a story of redemption. Having endured heartbreaks in the 2017 and 2022 World Cups, her performance this time was a poetic culmination of perseverance and resilience.
South Africa, who finished runners up in three consecutive ICC Women’s tournaments the T20 World Cups of 2023 and 2024, and now the ODI World Cup 2025 once again fell short in their pursuit of glory.
With this triumph, India joined the elite list of Women’s ODI World Cup champions, alongside Australia (7 titles), England (4), and New Zealand (1).
This victory will be remembered not just for the records shattered, but for the spirit, unity, and determination that defined Team India’s journey to their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup crown.
