The semi-final win against Australia had been an emotional one, AND captain Harmanpreet Kaur couldn’t hold back her tears in the dugout. But on the day
India finally lifted their first-ever Women’s World Cup, those tears were replaced by A radiant smile. The emotion this time was different, not of relief, but of a dream realised, and the word Kaur kept returning to was self-belief.
When asked about the feeling of finally holding a trophy that had long eluded India, Kaur said she was overwhelmed and could barely process the moment. She noted that the team had remained focused on their ultimate goal for a long time, playing consistently good cricket, and that it had finally all come together on the biggest stage.
"I'm just trying to express what I'm feeling. I'm numb, I'm not able to understand. So, it's just that there were ups and downs, but the team had self-belief. I've been saying this since day one. We weren't looking to the left or right. We were only looking at our main end goal,” said Kaur.
"We felt we could win from the first ball itself because the way our team was playing in the last three games, a lot of things changed for us, especially our self-belief. We have played good cricket for a long time. We knew what we could do as a team. We knew there would be tough conditions for batting, but credit goes to Smriti [Mandhana] and Shafali [Verma]; they handled the first 10 overs very well,” she added.
Wolvaardt was not giving a chance: Kaur
Kaur’s luck with the toss had shown no improvement throughout the tournament, she had managed to win only one out of nine. The trend continued in the final, where she lost the toss yet again. While there was a strong sense of belief within the Indian camp, there were also inevitable nerves, especially as Laura Wolvaardt’s century kept South Africa firmly in the chase. It was only after her dismissal in the 42nd over that the momentum finally shifted decisively in India’s favour.
"From the first ball itself, I had the belief that it doesn't matter - because we don't normally win the toss - we knew we had to bat first," Kaur said.
"Our aim was simple. We knew that if we thought of a big target, we would come under pressure. The main thing was to keep batting and keep playing our game. We tried to score 300 runs on the board; we were one run short. But after that, I think we came onto the field as a strong unit. Whenever we needed it, we got a breakthrough. It was a very good match. It seems easy to say now, but there was a lot of tension in between when they were batting - like Laura, she was not giving a chance. But at the end of the day, I'm feeling great. I don't know how to express it, but I'm just trying to tell you what I'm feeling,” she added.
Jhulan was my biggest supporter: Kaur
After the final wicket fell, fittingly with Kaur completing the catch, India embarked on a victory lap around a jubilant DY Patil Stadium. During the celebrations, former players Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra joined the team on the field and were handed the trophy in a gesture that symbolised the passing of generations. Goswami, overcome with emotion, was seen in tears as she embraced Kaur and several of the current players at the centre of the ground.
"Jhulan di was my biggest supporter. When I joined the team, she was leading it. She always supported me in my early days when I was very raw and didn't know much about cricket. Anjum di, too. Both of them have been a great support for me. I'm very grateful that I got to share a special moment with them. It was a very emotional moment. I think we all were waiting for this. Finally, we were able to touch this trophy,” said Kaur.
Everybody was crying after Rawal’s injury: Kaur
The campaign had been an emotional one from start to finish. Kaur revealed that injuries to Yastika Bhatia and Pratika Rawl had left the dressing room in tears. India’s journey through the tournament was far from smooth, as two early wins were followed by three consecutive defeats to South Africa, Australia, and England, before a crucial victory against New Zealand secured their place in the semi-finals. The win over Australia in that knockout match proved to be the breakthrough moment that reignited their campaign.
"When she [Pratika] got injured, everybody was crying...yet, everybody was so positive. Everyone was thinking that our end goal was this trophy. We had to keep working hard day and night. And this is the result,” Kaur said.
"The last month has been very interesting. It's very rare that things don't go according to your plan, and yet you stay so positive. After that day [the loss against England], a lot changed for us. Every time, we cannot go on repeating the same things. We had to come with a strong mind,” she added.
England’s loss had a great impact on us: Kaur
That defeat to England proved to be a turning point for the team. In its aftermath, the squad turned inward, engaging in visualisation and meditation sessions to regain focus and composure. Observers have drawn parallels between this transformation and India’s 1983 men’s World Cup victory, both seen as defining moments that shaped the nation’s cricketing identity. For a side that had reached multiple finals and semi-finals only to fall agonisingly short, Kaur viewed this triumph as the long-awaited shift.
"That night changed a lot for us. It had an impact on everyone. We were more prepared for the World Cup. We started visualisation and meditation. That showed we were here for something, and this time we had to do it,” said Kaur.
"We have been talking about this for many years - we've been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament. Without that, we couldn't talk about change…we were waiting badly for this moment, and today we got a chance to live it. I don't know how to express it, but I'm so happy and so proud of this team,” she added.
We all got happy as the venue changed: Kaur
When the final wicket fell, Kaur sprinted across the field, embracing each of her teammates in jubilation. The longest hug, however, was reserved for Smriti Mandhana, her long-time partner across 106 ODIs. The 39,555-strong crowd at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium had stayed on through a two-hour rain delay, their chants for the home side never fading.
The DY Patil Stadium, which has hosted several women’s internationals and WPL fixtures, and has long been regarded as the spiritual home of women’s cricket in India, once again proved to be a fortunate venue. Kaur later shared that the team had felt a sense of relief when the World Cup final was moved from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai in August.
"I've played many World Cups with her [Mandhana]. Every time we lost, we went home heartbroken and stayed quiet for a few days. When we returned, we always said, 'we have to start again from ball one'. It was heartbreaking because we played so many World Cups - reaching finals, semi-finals, and sometimes not even that far. We were always thinking, when will we break this?," said Kaur.
"As soon as we got to know that our venue had been changed to DY Patil Stadium, we all got so happy because we've always played good cricket there. We said, 'We've come home now, and we'll start fresh.' We didn't want to look back at previous World Cups, we left them there. The new World Cup had just started," she added.
The celebrations stretched long into the night. After the victory lap and the post-match presentations, the team remained on the ground to celebrate with their friends and families, soaking in the historic moment. Later, they returned to their hotel amid a lively dhol procession.
"We've been waiting for this moment. The celebration will go on all night. And then let's see what BCCI is planning for us," Kaur concluded.
