India have been crowned Women’s Cricket World Cup champions for the first time ever after beating South Africa in an epic final.
There were plenty of standout performances throughout the competition, with Australia’s Alana King making history, New Zealand’s Sophie Devine playing in her last ODI match ever and South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp becoming the highest wicket-taker in the Women’s World Cup.
Here is Sky Sports’ team of the tournament made up of two openers, five middle-order players and four bowlers.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa, batter) – 571 runs
South Africa’s captain notched an impressive 169 in the semi-final against England. It led to Proteas’ victory over England and was even more special because it was at the same ground where they were bowled out for 69.
Wolvaardt also scored a century during the Women’s Cricket World Cup final against India and was the only South Africa player to make a substantial score before they were beaten by 52 runs.
Smriti Mandhana (India, batter) – 434 runs
Whilst the India opener had a shaky start to the tournament, she turned up the heat in the games that mattered, scoring 80, 88 and 109 against Australia, England and New Zealand, respectively.
Her consistency against some of the big teams in the tournament showed why the 29-year-old is ranked the No 1 ODI batter and a solid opener.
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Smriti Mandhana is the first to fall for India as she nicks behind to give South Africa their first wicket at the Women’s Cricket World Cup final.
Alyssa Healy (Australia, wicketkeeper) – 299 runs
Australia’s captain made a stunning 142 against India in the group stage, helping her side to a historic chase, before following it up with an unbeaten century in their 10-wicket thrashing of Bangladesh.
She was left to rue a costly drop in their semi-final, which they lost to India, slipping up on a regulation catch when Rodrigues was 82 runs into her match-winning knock.
Had she taken that, Australia would have been firm favourites to reach their second successive final.
Jerminah Rodrigues (India, batter) – 292 runs
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We go back to 2017 where Nasser Hussain spoke to World Cup star Jemimah Rodrigues about how she started playing cricket and her hopes to inspire the next generation.
The 25-year-old middle-order batter had a lean run of form at the start of the tournament, being removed for a duck twice against Sri Lanka and South Africa.
However, she hit a memorable 127 not out against Australia in the semi-final to catapult her side into the finals.
After the victory, Rodrigues said, “The last 12 months have been hard and it feels like a dream. It hasn’t sunk in yet.
“I didn’t know I was batting at No 3. I was told five minutes before. It was not for me to prove a point, it was for me to win this match for India.
“We have always lost in crunch situations and I wanted to take us through. Today was not about my hundred.”
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Harmanpreet Kaur took a brilliant catch to see her side become Cricket World Cup champions.
Sophie Devine (New Zealand, all-rounder) – 289 runs, four wickets
New Zealand were eliminated from the competition in the group stage after winning just one of their games – against Bangladesh.
However, their tournament was significant as their captain, Devine, was playing in her 159th and final ODI match and whilst she only made 23 in her final game against England, she did score a century against Australia earlier on in the competition.
“Sophie has been a stalwart of New Zealand cricket. I have played with her and against her and what stands out for me is her character,” England’s Heather Knight said.
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New Zealand captain Sophie Devine was dismissed for 23, took the wicket of England’s Heather Knight and received a guard of honour as she brought her ODI career to a close.
“She is still the same sort of cheeky girl she was when she got in the team and a proper cricketer – someone who pushed the game forward in how you take bowlers on.
“She can hit the ball better than anyone in the women’s game and she was doing that before anyone else was. You also look at her longevity – and I think we might see her in the 2026 T20 World Cup.”
Ash Gardner (Australia, all-rounder) – 328 runs, seven wickets
Gardner is the No 1 ranked all-rounder, the No 2 batter, the No 3 bowler. It’s fair to say she is an integral part of the Australia unit, and the glue that holds the middle order together.
The 28-year-old also regularly contributes in the field and took a stunning catch in the semi-final against India to dismiss their captain, Harmanpreet Kaur. The context of the catch was also important because Australia had dropped three catches in a crucial match, which ultimately led to their downfall.
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Highlights from Australia’s semi-final defeat to India in the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Deepti Sharma (India, all-rounder) – 215 runs, 22 wickets
The India all-rounder took a spectacular 5-39 in the final and was a key component to India’s victory and was also the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
She also contributed with the bat, hitting 58 in Navi Mumbai, the second-highest score for India behind Shafali Verma’s 87. Sharma has a proven track record for performing under pressure and delivers almost every time.
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Highlights from the Women’s Cricket World Cup final where India held off South Africa to be crowned champions.
Marizanne Kapp (South Africa, all-rounder) – 208 runs, 12 wickets
The South African all-rounder loves a big stage and garners momentum from it. She is a veteran of South African cricket and was finally able to see her team in a World Cup final.
She took career-best figures of 5-20 against England in the semi-final and overtook India’s Jhulan Goswami to become the highest wicket-taker in the Women’s World Cup. Her skill and consistency throughout the game means she is vital to any team she plays in.
Annabel Sutherland (Australia, all-rounder) – 117 runs, 17 wickets
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After a strong start for England, Amy Jones is cleaned bowled after a beautiful delivery from Annabel Sutherland
Australia’s all-rounder scored a stunning 98no against England alongside Gardner’s 104no as the pair led their side to victory.
Like Gardner, Sutherland is one of Australia’s key all-rounders and fundamental to the middle order batting. She is able to change the game with the bat or ball and was the only player alongside Kim Garth to take wickets in the semi-final against India.
Sophie Ecclestone (England, bowler) – 18 runs, 16 wickets
The England leg-spinner is the top-ranked bowler in the ODI format and her ability to break partnerships at crucial moments in the game shows why.
The collective fear amongst her team-mates, coaching staff, and pundits when Ecclestone landed awkwardly on her shoulder and was a doubt for the semi-final shows how valuable she is to the set-up.
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Sophie Ecclestone took four wickets across five overs during England’s win over Sri Lanka at the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
Alana King (Australia, bowler) – 59 runs, 13 wickets
The Australian spin bowler produced the best bowling figures in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history, claiming 7-18 and helping to dismiss the Proteas for just 97 in the group stage.
She played a key role in helping Australia secure the top spot on the table and is one of the best spinners on the women’s circuit at the moment.
