In a second that may perpetually be etched in Indian cricket historical past, Harmanpreet Kaur and her staff lastly achieved what generations of girls cricketers had dreamed of — lifting the ICC Girls’s Cricket World Cup. The 2025 version turned out to be the right redemption story for Harmanpreet, who had endured years of heartbreak, together with the painful loss to England within the 2017 ultimate.
When she safely accomplished the catch of Nadine de Klerk to seal a 52-run victory over South Africa, the star skipper’s lengthy look forward to glory got here to an emotional finish. For Harmanpreet, this was greater than a win — it was the fruits of years of persistence, perception, and unrelenting ardour.
Harmanpreet Kaur shares Sachin Tendulkar’s well timed name earlier than the ultimate
As India ready for his or her greatest match in historical past, a well-recognized voice reached out to the captain with phrases that might show pivotal. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who himself had gone by means of the ache of near-misses earlier than lastly profitable the 2011 World Cup, referred to as Harmanpreet the night time earlier than the ultimate.
“The night time earlier than the match, Sachin sir referred to as. He shared his expertise and requested us to maintain our steadiness. When the sport goes quick, simply sluggish it down slightly. Try to management it as a result of while you go too quick, you may stumble. That’s what we wanted to keep away from,” Harmanpreet revealed on The ICC Overview.
Tendulkar’s recommendation struck a chord with the Indian skipper as she saved her persistence alive within the summit conflict which helped her take necessary captaincy selections through the epic finale.
“I used to be simply enthusiastic about all the recommendation I had obtained from seniors — to remain affected person, to maintain management, and to belief that our second would come. And it did,” added Harmanpreet.
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From heartbreak to historical past for India Girls
As the ultimate wicket fell, the Indian gamers erupted in pure pleasure. Harmanpreet, overwhelmed with emotion, sprinted throughout the sphere as tears and smiles crammed the second. For her and her teammates, it was not only a win — it was the conclusion of a collective dream. What made the victory much more particular for Harmanpreet was the presence of her dad and mom within the stands.
“I nonetheless can’t imagine it. Every time we see one another, we simply say, ‘world champion’. It’s a sense that hasn’t sunk in but. We waited so lengthy to expertise this second. My mom and father had been there. Since childhood, they’ve heard me say that I wish to put on India’s jersey, lead the staff, and win the World Cup. To carry the trophy with them watching — that was essentially the most particular a part of all of it,” defined Harman.
A trailblazer in Indian cricket historical past
Harmanpreet’s triumph wasn’t nearly ending India’s lengthy look forward to a ladies’s World Cup. It additionally positioned her in elite firm — she grew to become the primary Indian girl and solely the third Indian captain total, after Kapil Dev (1983) and MS Dhoni (2011), to carry a senior ICC ODI World Cup trophy.
Her management not solely fulfilled her private dream but additionally paved the best way for future generations of Indian ladies cricketers to imagine that the not possible could be achieved.
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This text was first printed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times firm.
