Women's World Cup 2025: 'You made the nation proud' - 1983 World Cup winner lauds Indian team after win in final vs SA
"My heartfelt congratulations to all of you. We were praying for your success, and you made the nation proud," Kirmani said.
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1983 World Cup winner Syed Kirmani congratulated Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. for lifting the Women's World Cup after defeating South Africa in the final on Sunday, November 2, at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
India had reached the finals of this tournament in 2005 and 2017, but the silverware eluded them. However, the third time was the charm for the Women in Blue as they etched their names in the annals of Indian cricket.
"Brilliant performance by the women's cricket team; my heartiest congratulations to them! Losing three consecutive games and then making a comeback was a reckless effort by the entire squad. My heartfelt congratulations to all of you. We were praying for your success, and you made the nation proud," Kirmani was quoted as saying by NDTV.
India did not have a smooth campaign as they lost three consecutive matches to South Africa, Australia, and England in the league phase. However, they didn't lose faith in their abilities and went on to register an important win against New Zealand to punch their tickets to the semi-final.
In the semi-final, India chased down a record 339-run target on the back of Jemimah Rodrigues' epic century and Harmanpreet's 88-ball 89.
Dream fulfilled, cricket fraternity salutes Indian women
In the high-voltage final, India lost the toss and were asked to bat first by South Africa. Shafali Verma, who had come into the tournament as an injury replacement for Pratika Rawal, scored an enterprising 87 off 78 balls, while Deepti Sharma made an important 58. The hosts finished on 298/7 in their 50 overs. While some felt that India were short by 20-30 runs, the pressure of a final meant that South Africa had an uphill task in front of them.
Skipper Laura Wolvaardt batted like a lone warrior as many of her teammates failed to convert their starts into substantial scores. After Wolvaardt departed for a 98-ball 101, India didn't take much time to wrap up proceedings. Deepti starred with the ball, bagging a five-for. South Africa were bowled out for 246 in 45.3 overs, with India winning by 52 runs.
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