India secured its maiden Women's Cricket World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa in the final on November 2, 2025, in Navi Mumbai. Shafali Verma starred with 87 runs and key wickets, marking a historic moment for the sport. The match highlighted the growing global appeal of women's cricket amid increased prize money and packed stadiums.
The 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup final took place at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, drawing a capacity crowd of 45,000 spectators. India posted a strong total, powered by Shafali Verma's 87 runs off 78 deliveries at the top of the order. The 21-year-old opener from Haryana also dismantled South Africa's top order by taking the wickets of Suné Luus and Marizanne Kapp, earning her Player of the Match award. South Africa, appearing in their first final, fell short by 52 runs.
Verma's journey to this triumph began as a nine-year-old in conservative Haryana, where she cut her hair short and wore her brother's jersey to play in a boys' tournament after he fell ill. "I told my father that I will go and play disguised as my brother, and even had his name on my back," she recalled in a 2020 AFP interview. She won Man of the Match and series in that event, a far cry from the 2013 Women's World Cup final in Mumbai, which drew only about 2,000 fans.
South Africa's path to the final featured resilience, with all-rounder Nadine de Klerk proving pivotal. The 25-year-old scored an unbeaten 84 off 54 balls, including five sixes and eight fours, to chase down 251 against India in the pool stage. She also hit an unbeaten 37 off 29 balls with a winning six against Bangladesh. De Klerk's strike rate of 136.69 led the tournament, alongside 10 sixes—more than her previous six years combined. "It’s just really mindset," she told Daily Maverick, crediting batting coach Baakier Abrahams, appointed in May 2024, for tactical improvements. Suné Luus praised her: "She’s come into her own in this tournament and been very explosive."
The victory underscored women's cricket's rise. The ICC raised the prize pool to $13.88 million from $3.5 million in 2022, with India receiving $4.48 million plus $5.74 million from the BCCI—exceeding the men's 2023 winners' $1.32 million. South Africa earned $2.24 million as runners-up. This was the first final since 1973 without Australia or England, signaling broader global progress despite varying domestic structures.