Delhi Capitals, the losing finalists of the first three seasons, have not made an ideal start under the new leadership of Jemimah Rodrigues. It is still early days but Rodrigues and Co. would be desperate to get their campaign back on track.
As India chase history at home in Navi Mumbai, while Laura Wolvaardt's South Africa will look to script their own fairytale, by finally breaking their run of heartbreaks at ICC events.
Deepti Sharma, the World Cup's leading wicket-taker who took a magnificent 5/39 in the final, is joined by teammates Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues in World Cup's Team of the Tournament.
Wolvaardt, Tazmin fire South Africa to 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in truncated game
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt scored a hundred for the ages before the seasoned Marizanne Kapp made the ball talk in good batting conditions to script a 125-run victory over England and enter their maiden Women's ODI Cup final, in Guwahati, on Wednesday.
South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt said that once their Women's World Cup contest against Sri Lanka was reduced to 20 overs a side, she treated it like a T20 game and came out to bat with the same mindset, in Colombo, on Friday.
Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma's superb all-round showing powered India to a historic first-ever Women's ODI World Cup title after they outclassed South Africa by 52 runs in the final.
Off-spinner Deepti bowled the 48th over, and De Klerk managed to find two boundaries off her before applying finishing touches to the chase, smashing pacer Amanjot Kaur for two sixes in the 49th over.
From hitting the winning runs against Australia in the semifinal to taking the catch of in-form South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt in the title clash, Amanjot played her part in India's winning campaign.
Agra welcomes home hero Deepti Sharma with 10km roaring roadshow
India won their maiden Women's World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
She was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for her consistent all-round display throughout the showpiece event.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be playing an ODI World Cup final for the third time, having finished runners-up in 2005 and 2017 to Australia and England, respectively. This will be South Africa's maiden appearance in the final.
Nadine de Klerk demonstrated icy-cool demeanour under pressure and shepherded South Africa to a three-wicket win over Bangladesh in a thrilling Women's World Cup match, in Visakhapatnam.
India's top order did not take responsibility to bat well against South Africa, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said after her side lost by three wickets.
Having retained the majority of their squad, MI will be the team to beat given their formidable batting, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals will be out to spoil their party.
Shafali Verma turned doubt into destiny as India lifted their first-ever Women's World Cup title.
Despite this, Bangladesh's inconsistent top order remains a significant concern. Skipper Nigar Sultana Joty, who also performs wicketkeeping duties, has struggled for runs, averaging just nine in the tournament.
Mandhana led the Indian charge at the top, and her partnerships with opening batter Pratika Rawal created quite a buzz in the showpiece event.
For India, the battle is no longer about proving skill or form, but about crossing the elusive final hurdle that has so often tripped them -- including in this very tournament.
Leg-spinner Alana King's spellbinding wizardry formed the cornerstone of Australia's seven-wicket triumph over South Africa as the defending champions concluded the Women's World Cup league stage firmly on top of the table in Indore on Saturday.
Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma guided India to a historic 52-run victory over South Africa which saw the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 hosts lift the trophy for the first time.
Brits ton, Mlaba's four-for power South Africa to commanding win over New Zealand
Earlier, after incessant rain interrupted the exciting contest, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field against the hosts India.
In the league stage, South Africa suffered two heavy defeats and their batting came apart against spin in both games.
Spinners call shots as England start Women's WC campaign with 10-wicket drubbing of SA
The Indian women's team is set to leave for New Delhi from Mumbai on Tuesday for a special meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate their World Cup triumph.
We need to back ourselves to keep Smriti Mandhana quiet: SA's De Klerk
Having played the most defining knock of her career to ensure South Africa's maiden entry into Women's ODI World Cup final, skipper Laura Wolvaardt found the feeling to be surreal.
India's World Cup-winning team was built on trust and role clarity, feels dashing keeper-batter Richa Ghosh, who was assigned the finisher's role by head coach Amol Muzumdar.
Chloe Kelly fired home the rebound from her own penalty to net a 119th-minute winner as reigning champions England pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Italy 2-1 after extra-time on Tuesday and reach the Women's European Championship final.
Stylish opener Smriti Mandhana inched closer to reclaiming the world number one spot in the ICC Women's ODI batting rankings
A night before the historic final against South Africa, the Indian women's team captain received a special phone call and it was none other than the history maker himself.
Cristiana Girelli scores at the fag end of the match to put Italy into the last four of the Euros for the first time since 1997.
The Women in Blue did more than just win a trophy -- they proved that hard work, and believing in themselves, can turn failure into success.
'Funny enough, I'm not one for records, but when you mention Meg Lanning, I'm glad I'm above that one. As long as we are winning the games, then I'm all good.'
Star India batter Smriti Mandhana on Saturday admitted that her maiden T20 International hundred in the first match against England "took a long time coming" but was relieved to achieve the feat as she "had a habit of getting out".
If the men of 1983 gave India a reason to dream, the women of 2025 could give it something rarer -- the courage to live that dream in full daylight, under an open sky that finally belongs to them, points out Prem Panicker.
Spain cruised to a 3-1 win over Italy on Friday that sees both sides through to the knock-out stages at the Women's Euros, with the Spaniards topping Group B to set up a showdown with hosts Switzerland, while the second-placed Italians will meet Group A winners Norway.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur knows that fans have placed heaps of expectations on her side ahead of the upcoming ICC Women's ODI World Cup at home, and she wants to enjoy the moment without succumbing to the pressure to land a maiden title.
