India wins women’s cricket World Cup for first time with 52-run victory over South Africa

India won the women’s cricket World Cup for the first time with a 52-run victory over South Africa on Monday (AEDT).

Opener Shafali Verma scored a career-best 87 off 78 balls as the tournament co-host reached 7-298 in 50 overs after losing the toss and batting first at the DY Patil Stadium.

South Africa was out for 246 in 45.3 overs in reply with its chase effectively over after skipper Laura Wolvaardt was out for 101 runs in 98 balls.

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India's Deepti Sharma took the final wicket of the match and finished with bowling figures of 5-39 from 9.3 overs.

It was India’s third final after 2005 and 2017.

Both sides were unchanged from the semi finals when India beat defending champions and seven-time winners Australia by five wickets and South Africa beat four-time champions England by 125 runs.

The Proteas were first-time finalists.

Sharma and Verma put in superb all-round performances.

Varma – who was drafted in last week for the injured Pratika Rawal – also took 2-36 with the ball.

Before claiming a five-for, Sharma (58) scored her third half-century of the tournament as India reached the second highest total in a World Cup final after Australia’s 5-356 against England in 2022.

Wolvaardt scored a fine century on the back of her semi final heroics against England.