On This Day in Cricket: The Indian team ended a 52-year title drought on this day in 2025. India became the world champions of ODI cricket for the first time.

India became ODI World Champion

A 52-year wait. Ask Team India's players what the pain of not winning the World Cup trophy for five decades feels like? But on this day, November 2nd, in 2025, the Indian women made history. Team India ended their title drought by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the Women's ODI World Cup final.

Women's ODI cricket began in 1973, and Team India had to wait 52 years to lift the ODI World Cup trophy. Previously, the Indian team played in the finals in 2005 and 2017, but both times they came very close to winning the trophy and fell short.

India will never forget November 2.

Indian fans will never forget the date of November 2, 2025. Team India came to bat first in the ODI World Cup final. The opening pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana were in excellent form. Withstanding the pressure of the final, they added 104 runs for the first wicket, laying the foundation for Team India's rise to world champion status. Verma scored 87 runs and Mandhana 45. Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur failed to make any significant impact. Deepti Sharma contributed 58 runs with the bat, helping Team India reach a score of 298.

Laura Wolvaardt's century makes Indian fans' hearts race.

In response, South African captain Laura Wolvaardt's start made it seem like Team India was going to lose the trophy once again. However, no batsman at the other end was able to hold on. Wolvaardt slowly steadied the innings and scored a century of 101 runs. She remained at the crease until the 42nd over, keeping the Indian fans' hearts racing.

Indian fans breathed a sigh of relief when the opposition captain was dismissed by Deepti Sharma. South Africa then surrendered, their entire team being bundled out for 246 runs. India won by 52 runs, becoming the ODI World Champions for the first time.