Navi Mumbai | Nov 3, 2025 | SKY LINK TIMES |
ICC Women’s World Cup 2025:
An emotional Harmanpreet Kaur hailed her teammates and support staff after leading India to their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title, calling the triumph “the start of a new chapter” for Indian women’s cricket.
India lifted the coveted trophy on Sunday night at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, after defeating South Africa in a thrilling final that capped off a remarkable comeback campaign
Table of Contents
Journey from Setbacks to Success
The Women in Blue began their campaign with early victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but suffered a mid-tournament slump, losing to South Africa, Australia, and England. However, a crucial win over New Zealand reignited their momentum and carried them into the semifinals, where they stunned defending champions Australia to book a spot in their third-ever ODI World Cup final.
“Even after those three losses, we always had belief,” said Harmanpreet. “We knew this team had something special to turn things around. Credit to every single member — they stayed positive, focused, and gave everything day and night.”
Shafali Verma’s All-Round Heroics
Harmanpreet reserved special praise for Shafali Verma, whose all-round brilliance proved pivotal in India’s title-clinching win. The 21-year-old opener smashed 87 runs in the first innings before taking two crucial wickets — including those of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp — to tilt the match in India’s favor.
“When Laura and Sune were batting, they looked really good,” Kaur said. “I saw Shafali and just knew it was her day. I asked if she was ready to bowl, and she said yes immediately. That over changed everything for us.”
Kaur described Shafali as “fearless, positive, and always ready to step up for the team.”
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Team Belief and Tactical Brilliance
Reflecting on the final, Harmanpreet admitted that the 299-run target wasn’t a safe total but praised her bowlers for holding their nerve under pressure.
“Today’s pitch was tricky with the rain and overhead conditions. We knew 290 was a fighting total. Finals always come with pressure, and credit to South Africa — they played beautifully. But when they panicked, we seized the moment and took those crucial wickets,” she said.
A Historic Moment for Indian Women’s Cricket
Acknowledging the team’s long journey and the unwavering faith of the support staff and selectors, Kaur credited the BCCI and head coach Amol Muzumdar for backing the same group over the last two years.
“Every World Cup, we’d talk about crossing that final line. Under Amol sir, we worked hard and believed. The BCCI trusted this team and didn’t make too many changes. That belief made all the difference,” she noted.
As India celebrated their first ICC Women’s World Cup title, Kaur said this win marks the beginning of a new era.
“This is just the beginning. We wanted to break this barrier, and now we’ve done it. Our next goal is consistency — to make it happen again and again. This is not the end, it’s the start of a new chapter.”
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