How the Indian women’s team soared to an unforgettable World Cup triumph

The emotion after the win was palpable — tears, hugs, relief, and unbridled joy. The team embraced the moment, knowing they had finally done what generations before had come so close to achieving. The Indian women’s cricket team, runners-up in 2005 and 2017, had endured years of heartbreak. But this time, they turned the tide. After a shaky start in the tournament, losing three consecutive league matches, the team rediscovered its rhythm and belief.

A look at how the magic happened at the World Cup

And in a spectacular turnaround, India reached the pinnacle of world cricket, clinching their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa in the final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. This triumph is more than just a trophy, it marks a new era for women’s cricket in India. A moment of redemption, of resilience rewarded, and of inspiration for generations to come. CE speaks to former cricketers and voices from different walks of life on what this victory means, their reflections on Team India’s campaign, and how it could reshape the future of the sport.

‘Building a winning culture’

What an incredible night for Indian cricket, I believe it’s the start to many more. This historic World Cup win by our women has not just given us a trophy, but a defining moment that will inspire generations. The composure, discipline and belief they displayed throughout the tournament were remarkable. It was not only about skill, but about resilience, the ability to adapt to conditions, to handle pressure and to rise when it mattered most. Every campaign has its highs and lows, but what stands out for me is the collective spirit they showed, every player contributing in crucial moments.

The batting group showed maturity beyond years, the bowling unit maintained relentless consistency and the fielding standards were world-class. Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front, setting the tone both on and off the field. Credit must also go to the support structure around the team. Amol Muzumdar’s leadership brought tactical clarity and a sense of composure to the dressing room, while Aavishkar Salvi’s work with the bowlers was evident in the discipline and variations they displayed under pressure.

As BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia remarked, the vision set in motion by Jay Shah during his tenure with the Board through the Centre of Excellence’s sustained investment in women’s cricket, infrastructure and development pathways is now bearing tangible fruit. Looking ahead, this win can be a powerful catalyst for the women’s game in India. It will encourage more young girls to take up the sport. The process of building a winning culture has truly begun and this triumph will only strengthen that foundation.

- Pragyan Ojha, former Indian cricketer

‘Shafali as a bowler in the final was a masterstroke’

I don’t think we could have asked for a better World Cup final than the one we witnessed on Sunday. Having coached both men and women for many years, I can say I’ve rarely seen an Indian team show such commitment. Their energy on the field — the dives, the boundary saves — spoke volumes about their fitness and determination. That, to me, was one of the biggest takeaways from the final. The semi-final and the final together have taken women’s cricket to another level. The standard of play was phenomenal, proving that our women now truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the men. As an Indian, I’m thrilled about the victory, but what stood out even more was the quality of cricket and the entertainment they provided to millions around the world. My hearty congratulations to the entire team and to coach Amol Muzumdar for building such a strong, cohesive unit. And what a captain! Spirited, bold, and tactically brilliant — Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to bring on Shafali as a bowler in the final was a masterstroke. It showed clarity of thought and a fearless approach. I hope this win inspires every state and cricket board — especially Hyderabad — to invest more in women’s cricket. And to parents, I say: let your daughters dream big. This team has shown what’s possible.

- Vijay Mohan Raj, former Indian cricketer

‘Happy to see such a big crowd’

The whole team followed all the matches together. After India won against Australia in the semi-finals we were confident of a win in the finals. The highlight for me was when Harmanpreet Kaur brought in Shafali Verma, a spinner. I found it very inspiring that she thought to do that in a stressful situation when South Africa was scoring a lot of runs. When they won, we were so excited and felt like we, the Indian blind women’s team, won too. The whole team wants to play like them and get a cup for India when we play our first world cup in November. I was also very happy to see such a big crowd for their matches across different cities when in the past, people only came for men’s cricket matches.

- Deepika TC, Indian blind women’s cricket team captain

‘Team was well balanced’

I have played with half of this squad and so it was very emotional for me. But even otherwise, the win feels like all of us women cricketers in the country have won with the team. While many teams before have come close to winning but didn’t, this team bagged the cup because the team was well balanced. When the top order players didn’t play well, the middle order compensated, when one bowler didn’t bowl well, another did, and so on. Also the way we saw them all support each other, even when we watched on TV, we could understand the team’s spirit. The most memorable part of this World Cup for me was the semi-finals. When the team cried, we all felt like crying and then of course, Jemi. When someone as fun as her cried and spoke about what she went through and how anxious she was, it was hard hitting. There are many players like that and everyone has a story like that so when she opened up about it, it was just very wholesome and healing for us all. Personally, I believe Deepti impressed me the most this time, both in her batting and bowling. Even Richa for that matter did very well.

- Anusha S, captain of Tamil Nadu Women’s Cricket team

‘A new awakening’

The performance of the Indian women’s cricket team was a fine display of true ‘Nari Shakti’. It’s a reminder of potential women’s sports hold, and that our teams can be the best. I admired Jemimah’s performance during the semi-finals against Australia. She reminded me of Kapil Dev’s one-man battle (against Zimbabwe, at Tunbridge Wells) during the 1983 World Cup. The victory over Australia boosted the team’s confidence and resolve, which shone through during the final against South Africa. Every such victory inspires change in society. We might be reluctant to learn from defeats but when we win, it penetrates our collective conscience. This victory, no doubt, will definitely bring a new awakening in young girls and their guardians. Participation and viewership will go up. To more victories and more heights — I wish our cricketers the best! Since cricket is now going to be included in the Olympics, I hope to see more medals coming our way.

- PT Usha, legendary sprinter and president of Indian Olympic Association

‘Turning point for women’s cricket’

This is a spectacular victory. When we started playing cricket in the 1970s, we could not have imagined that we, as women, could reach this level, participate in international tournaments and win them. Those days, there were not many women playing cricket as it was perceived to be a man’s game and we used to play at the national level with minimal resources. This is a great moment in the history of women’s cricket. It goes to show that there is nothing that women cannot achieve with grit and determination. This will be a turning point for women’s cricket – men and women will look at our players with respect and parents will support girls to take up sports as a profession.

- Geeta Parthasarathi, veteran Karnataka cricketer

‘Inspiration for an entire generation’

It is a proud moment for all of us, especially for women in sports. Most women’s sports don’t get due attention, but I think the World Cup final had unprecedented viewership. I came across some comments comparing the team with Kapil’s Dev’s of 1983. I agree with this. This win has put to rest any doubts about how exciting, aggressive and powerful women’s sports can be. I am certain that more young girls — no matter which sports they are interested in — will be motivated to go all out. These are historical moments that end up inspiring an entire generation. Kudos to captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been my favourite.

- Anju Bobby George, former Indian long-jump champion

‘Victory has healed all of us’

This first World Cup is going to be the most inspiring moment for the future girls who take up the sport. For all the hard work that the previous generations put into the sport, for all the heartbreaks we endured, this victory has healed all of us. As an Indian and as a former Indian cricketer it is an extremely proud moment for me, and a very emotional one, especially when Harman gave the cup to Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. Those two legends deserve it equally as we all do. But then again, this squad is to be appreciated for finally bringing the cup home. They stood out because they are never satisfied with their wins, they always want to get better and better. After the semi-finals, the lines used by the Indian team in the dressing room is, ‘It is not yet done, we still have the final.’ Even after winning the finals, at the presentation, Harman said, ‘This is the beginning, we want to make this a habit,’ proving this point. From the squad, I think Pratika Rawal was definitely impressive according to me. I was really upset and disappointed when she was injured and wasn’t able to be a part of the semi-finals and finals. She’s always under the pressure and is always being compared to Shafali Verma, and to have been so calm and composed despite that and get that crucial century against New Zealand, which was a knock out game was phenomenal.

- Niranjana Nagarajan, former Indian cricketer

'Heroic effort'

Our college WhatsApp groups came alive during those nail-biting moments, just like they did in the semifinal against Australia. Most of us shared Rohit Sharma’s reaction after the victory — tears and pride. When two evenly matched teams clash at this level, it often comes down to who wants it more. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Australia’s fate turned with Maxwell’s insane innings against Afghanistan, which shifted destiny in their favour. This time, it was Jemimah Rodrigues’ heroic run chase in the semifinal against six-time champions Australia that lit the fire. Her effort meant too much for the team to let it go in vain, and they delivered. Kudos to Team India!

- Priyam Pandey, actor

(Story by Reshmi Chakravorty, Mahima Nagaraju, Supriya, Adithi Reena Ajith, Nidharshana Raju)