Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana felt emotional as she reflected on her team's journey and hard-fought triumph at the Women's World Cup 2025, after the Women in Blue lifted their maiden ICC title at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2.
Mandhana played a crucial role in India's victory, scoring 45 runs and sharing a 104-run opening stand before being dismissed. Her foundation allowed Shafali Verma 87 and Deepti Sharma to steer the innings, setting South Africa a challenging target of 299.
Deepti then starred with the ball, claiming a brilliant five-wicket haul 5/39 as India bowled South Africa out for 246, sealing the nation's first-ever Women's World Cup title and becoming only the fourth team to win the Women's ODI World Cup. Mandhana said it felt incredible to finally experience the joy of victory after enduring several heartbreaks in past campaigns.