Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127 led India to its most famous victory in women’s cricket history, as they chased down Australia’s daunting 338 to reach the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final. Supported by captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 89 and middle-order contributions, India sealed the win in 48.3 overs with five wickets in hand at Navi Mumbai on Thursday, Oct. 30. The hosts will now meet South Africa in the title clash on Sunday, Nov. 2.
The thrilling chase, the highest successful in women’s international cricket, sparked an outpouring of joy and admiration across the cricketing world.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag captured the sentiment perfectly, writing, “Australia soch rahi thi ek aur semi-final hai, aaram se jeeto aur pahuncho Final- hamari ladkiyon ne socha yeh to mauka hai asli dhamaka karne ka! Saare criticism ko dho daala. Kya khel dikhaya. Proud of our women in blue. (Australia thought it was just another semi-final, win it easily and move on to the final. But our girls had other plans! They saw it as the perfect chance to make a real impact, and they did, silencing all the criticism with their brilliant performance. So proud of our Women in Blue!)”
Sachin Tendulkar too lauded the heroes of the night, saying, “Fabulous victory! Well done @JemiRodrigues and @ImHarmanpreet for leading from the front. Shree Charani and @Deepti_Sharma06, you kept the game alive with the ball. Keep the tricolour flying high.” His message highlighted how both bat and ball played their part in scripting India’s win.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised the team’s evolution, saying, “Incredible stuff from the girls, how good they have become in the last 5 years, one more to go, just outstanding.”
Former India men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma shared a celebratory Instagram story with a photo of Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur, who hit the winning runs, captioned it, “Well done, Team India,” along with two tricolour emojis.
Former India off-spinner R Ashwin highlighted Rodrigues’ journey in this tournament, saying, “From being left out of the team earlier in the World Cup to taking your team to the final. Take a Bow, Jemimah.”
Yuvraj Singh called the victory one that goes “beyond numbers on a scoreboard,” adding that “under pressure, with the world watching,” Harmanpreet “played with the calm and conviction of a true leader” while Jemimah “brought pure focus and intent to play an innings of a lifetime.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan also joined in, saying, “Wow, what a chase, any team that beats Australia deserve to win the WC,” acknowledging the scale of India’s achievement from across the globe.
Dinesh Karthik hailed it as a moment of national pride, writing, “India into the final. What a game. What a performance. Jemimah Rodrigues, what an innings. Took the team past the finish line. The entire nation will be glued to their TVs this Sunday.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Irfan Pathan said it was “such a pleasure watching this chase,” crediting the key roles of Rodrigues, Kaur and a late cameo from Richa Ghosh.
Former India women’s cricket captain Mithali Raj reflected on the emotional value of the victory, writing, “Nights like these remind you why you play this game. The belief, the fight, and the hunger to win all came together tonight.”
VVS Laxman described the performance as “incredible,” adding that “to beat Australia chasing a world record 339 in a World Cup semi-final doesn’t get better than this.”
Current India men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir summed up the team’s grit, writing, “It ain’t over till it’s over! What a performance, girls.”
Former England cricketer Isa Guha expressed her disbelief, writing, “Cannot believe what I’ve just seen. Jemi Rodrigues, that was unbelievable. One of the greatest humans you will ever meet. One of the greatest knocks you will ever see.”
As congratulatory messages continue to pour in, India’s women have not only earned their spot in the final but also the admiration of the global cricket community. Their record-breaking chase against Australia will go down as one of the defining moments in women’s cricket.