"You've created a legacy that will inspire generations": Gambhir hails India Women's World Cup triumph

New Delhi [India], November 3 (ANI): Former cricketer and currently Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir lauded the Indian women's cricket team after their historic maiden ICC Women's World Cup triumph, saying they have not just created history but a legacy that will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport.

After heartbreaks in the 2005 and 2017 finals, the luck, skill set, balance and depth favoured Team India; the clinical Women in Blue overcame South Africa, the first-time finalists, by 52 runs to secure their first-ever World Cup title across both T20I and ODI formats.

All-round performances from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma were the crowning jewels for the team in the title clash.

Congratulating the Women In Blue, Gautam Gambhir wrote on X, "You have not just created history, you've created a legacy that will inspire generations of girls!"

The Indian cricketing fraternity also hailed India as they finally broke their world title drought, securing their maiden ICC Women's World Cup title by beating first-time finalists South Africa by 52 runs in a clinical display at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, in an X post, said, "Congratulations @BCCIWomen, that was one hell of a campaign. Well done to the girls and the entire support staff led by @amolmuzumdar11."

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan, in an X post, wrote, "Many congratulations to @BCCIWomen for winning the World Cup. Brilliant play. Deepti Sharma, what a player you are. Shafali, well done."

Former Indian opening batter Shikhar Dhawan, in an X post, wrote, "Incredible win by the women in blue! @TheShafaliVerma's fearless batting and @Deepti_Sharma06's all-round class made all the difference. Champions in every sense of the word! "

Indian batting icon Virat Kohli hailed the national women's team for the first-ever ICC Women's World Cup win, saying that they deserve all the applause for their historic feat, which saw "years of hard work come to life finally".

"The girls have created history, and I could not be prouder as an Indian to see the hard work of so many years come to life finally. They deserve all the applause and a big congratulations to Harman and the whole team for achieving this historic feat. Also congratulations to the whole squad and the management for the work behind the scenes. Well done india. Enjoy the moment to the fullest. This will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport in our country. Jai hind," Virat Kohli wrote on Instagram.

Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar also pointed out how, just like the 1983 World Cup win by the men's team inspired an entire generation to dream big, this Indian team has "inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball".

"1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams. Today, our Women's Cricket Team has done something truly special. They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day. This is a defining moment in the journey of Indian women's cricket. Well done, Team India. You've made the whole nation proud," Sachin posted on X.

Coming to the match, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first.

A century partnership between Smriti Mandhana (45 in 58 balls, with eight fours) and Shafali Verma kick-started things for India, followed by another 62-run stand between Shafali (87 in 78 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Jemimah Rodrigues (24 in 37 balls, with a four). India was at a fine platform of 166/2.

A 52-run stand between skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (20 in 29 balls, with two fours) and Deepti Sharma took India beyond the 200-run mark. A final flourish by Deepti (58 in 58 balls, with three fours and a six) and Richa Ghosh (34 in 24 balls, with three fours and two sixes) helped India reach 298/7 in their 50 overs.

Ayabonga Khaka (3/58) was the leading wicket-taker for SA.

During the run-chase, a fifty-run stand started things for SA, with Tazmin Brits (23 in 35 balls, with two fours and a six) being the first victim. Eventually, despite skipper Laura Wolvaardt's dominance, the golden arms of Shafali Verma (2/36) and Shree Charani reduced SA to 148/5.

Wolvaardt had a 61-run stand for the sixth wicket with Annerie Dercksen (37 in 35 balls, with a four and two sixes), which slowly started to rebuild pressure on India. Wolvaardt (101 in 98 balls, with 11 fours and a six) continued her red-hot form, bringing up her century after having registered 169 against England in the semifinal just a few days back.

However, a game-changing spell from Deepti removed both set batters and had the Proteas struggling at 221/8. She became the first Indian woman with a WC final four-fer.

Deepti (5/39) eventually managed to convert it into a fiver, as India made history to win their maiden WC title by bundling out SA for 246 runs. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)