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Back in 2017, when Mithali Raj led India to the Women’s World Cup final against England, the entire nation hoped to witness history on English soil. But the women in blue fell just nine runs short, finishing as runners-up. Despite the heartbreaking loss, that campaign sparked an incredible rise in women’s cricket across India. Eight years later, the dream finally came true. On Sunday night, Harmanpreet Kaur’s Team India created history by defeating South Africa by 52 runs to lift their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title. Emotions ran high as the Indian players celebrated the moment and shared the trophy with legends like Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra. A video shared by Star Sports has since gone viral — it shows Mithali holding the trophy close, hugging it, and lifting it high in the air at the youngsters’ heartfelt request. A moment for the history books. ?#MithaliRaj celebrates with the World Champions Team India! ? pic.twitter.com/Ljn1sjYfWW — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 2, 2025 India’s long wait for World Cup glory finally ended in Navi Mumbai, where Harmanpreet Kaur’s determined side lifted the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time, defeating South Africa in a historic final. The victory marked the end of years of heartbreaks and near-misses, leading into a new era for women’s cricket in India. Shafali Verma, brought back into the squad after Pratika Rawal’s injury, rose to the occasion with a brilliant 87 and two vital wickets — a performance that defined India’s golden night. Deepti Sharma, steady as ever, provided the perfect balance with a composed half-century and a five-wicket haul, earning the Player of the Final award. India’s campaign was on the verge of getting derailed after losing back-to-back games to South Africa, Australia and England. In fact, against England, India were cruising at 234 for 3 before failing to surpass a target of 289. That match ended in heartbreak, with head coach Amol Mujumdar showing a virtual mirror to the team, and in the outside world, people were calling for the skipper’s head. “Not a single player said ‘what will happen now’ when things were not going well, especially after the heartbreaking loss against England,” Harmanpreet said at the post-match media conference after India’s title triumph here on Sunday. “That night changed a lot of things for us. We thought we would have to come out with a stronger mindset, and everyone came together even more,” the skipper revealed. (With PTI Inputs)
