Navi Mumbai, Nov 3 (NationPress) Renowned cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the Indian women’s cricket team for their stunning victory in the World Cup, as the Women in Blue triumphed over South Africa to secure their very first ICC title on a remarkable Sunday night at DY Patil Stadium.

In their third appearance in a 50-over World Cup final, India, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, claimed victory by 52 runs against the South African team captained by Laura Wolvaardt, marking a historic achievement for Indian women’s cricket.

Tendulkar took to X to extend special accolades to the team, stating, “The year 1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and pursue those aspirations. Today, our Women’s Cricket Team has accomplished something extraordinary. They have motivated countless young girls across the nation to embrace cricket, step onto the field, and believe they too can one day lift this trophy. This marks a defining moment in the evolution of Indian women’s cricket. Congratulations, Team India! You have made the entire nation proud.”

Regarding the match, India set a target of 298 runs, thanks to stellar performances from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. Both players excelled with the ball, with Shafali claiming two vital wickets by dismissing Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp, while Deepti achieved an impressive five-wicket haul.

Shafali earned the Player of the Match title, while Deepti was awarded Player of the Tournament for amassing over 200 runs and taking 20 wickets throughout the tournament, ultimately becoming the highest wicket-taker of the World Cup. Deepti delivered the final blow, leading to South Africa's total of 246 runs.

With this victory, the Indian women’s cricket team has finally ended their ICC trophy drought.