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Deepti Sharma's fight to Richa Ghosh's resilience: 5 unsung moments from India's World Cup 2025 win
India clinched their first Women's ODI World Cup title on November 3, 2025, defeating South Africa.
The night of 3rd November, 2025, will be remembered for a long time in Indian women’s cricket history. The Indian team, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated South Africa in the final of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup to win their maiden title.
From the knock of Shafali Verma in the final to Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance in the tournament, fans are talking about all the contributions that led to the remarkable achievement. Amidst all these glorious moments, there are some moments that the fans and followers might have overlooked. Moments that were crucial for India’s World Cup win but remain unsung. Let us take a look at five such moments from the tournament.
1. Amajot Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana’s rescue act vs Sri Lanka
The Indian team was all set to be on the receiving end of a big upset in their opening clash of the tournament. From 120/2, Sri Lanka, led by Inoka Ranaweera, triggered a middle-order collapse in which India lost four wickets for just six runs.
It was at this stage that Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma got together. Amanjot scored 57 runs off 56 deliveries, while Sharma held the other end, scoring 53 runs off 53 deliveries. Their 103-run partnership ensured that India got past the 200-mark. Sneh Rana then played a cameo of 28 runs off 15 deliveries, and India were able to post a total of 269/8, which proved too much for Sri Lanka. The Indian team picked up a 59-run win (DLS Method) and secured their first points of the campaign.
2. The Kranti Gaud masterclass against the arch-rivals
India posted 247 runs while batting first against Pakistan. It was a moderate total, and the Pakistan team was hopeful of chasing down the target if the top-order gave them a good start.
Kranti Gaud was at her best bowling form on the night. She gave the opposition an early shock by picking up the wicket of opener Sadaf Shamas. After this, Pakistan was hoping that Aliya Riaz would form a partnership with Sidra Amin and stabilize the ship. But Gaud ensured that Riaz’s knock did not last long.
The partnership that Pakistan were hoping for came from Sidra Amin and Natalia Pervaiz. The duo put on 69 runs together and were propelling Pakistan towards the target. But Gaud picked up the wicket of Pervaiz and broke the developing partnership, halting the momentum of the chase and taking the game away from them.
Also Read: Amanjot Kaur's catch that swung the game for India: Juggles hearts of a billion fans before sending back Laura Wolvaardt
3. Richa Ghosh’s and Sneh Rana’s defiant batting against South Africa
After a good opening partnership, the Indian batting struggled against the South African bowling. Nadine de Klerk, Nonkululeko Mlaba, and Chole Tryon kept on picking up regular wickets, and soon India were struggling at 153/7.
It was at this stage that Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana stitched a defiant partnership of 88 runs. Ghosh’s knock of 94 runs was a memorable effort. The partnership between the two players ensured that India posted 251 runs on the board. Even though India lost the game, the partnership was a reflection of the fighting spirit in the team and their ability to perform under pressure.
4. Charani, Radha, Deepti, and the chaos in Australia’s death overs in the Semi-final
After a brilliant century from opener Phoebe Litchfield and an aggressive half-century by Ashleigh Gardner, the Aussies looked set to post a total in excess of 350. But the Indian bowlers, mainly Shree Charani, Radha Yadav, and Deepti Sharma, ensured that Australia did not bat India out of the match. It was their death over squeeze that kept the Australian team to 338, which was later chased down by the brilliance from Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur.
5. Amanjot Kaur’s juggling act to dismiss Laura Wolvaardt in the Final
After India posted 298 runs while batting first in the Final, the onus was on Laura Wolvaardt to steer her team home. She was looking to repeat the brilliance of the semi-final and stood as the final barrier between India and a World Cup win.
In the 42nd over, Deepti Sharma induced the only false shot of Wolvaardt’s innings. The ball went high in the air and towards the deep mid-wicket region. Amanjot Kaur, stationed in the deep, ran in and then dived to take the catch. She juggled the ball a couple of times and then finally secured the wicket. The fall of the skipper took out the remaining fight in South Africa, and India managed to secure their maiden title after this.
The effort from Kaur was a perfect reflection of India’s campaign. A few fumbles, a few scares of the chance slipping away, but the desired result was secured in the end.
