Standing at the iconic Gateway of India, with the golden World Cup trophy gleaming, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur reflected on the team’s historic triumph after defeating South Africa at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. A day after becoming the third Indian captain to win the World Cup, she opened up about the emotions, celebrations, and the belief that defined their journey to glory.
Kaur couldn’t stop smiling as she recalled the unforgettable night of celebrations that followed India’s World Cup triumph. The emotions and the surreal feeling came together in a moment the team had dreamt of for years. From the dressing room to the team bus, the party never stopped, as every player soaked in the feeling of being crowned world champions for the very first time.
“Whenever we are meeting, we are calling each other ‘World Champion’. This is an entirely different feeling, and we’ve been waiting for long to feel something as great as this. The celebrations continued till morning, and I had to go to sleep afterwards for a short duration.”
“We had a dance party. It was totally a very emotional feeling for all of us. Everyone danced their hearts out, and those you had never seen dance before, they were the first ones on the floor, like Smriti and Deepti. It was so good to see them express themselves,” said the skipper, recalling the jubilant celebrations.
For Harmanpreet Kaur, the World Cup victory wasn’t just her achievement, it was her family’s too. As she lifted the trophy with her parents watching from the stands, the moment felt like a dream come true not only for her but for them as well. They had lived this journey with her, from the early days of training in Moga to watching her lead India to world glory.
“It was a special moment as my family was also there at the stadium. It was a special moment to lift the World Cup trophy with them. Since my childhood, they’ve heard me say that I want to wear India’s jersey, play and lead the team. Everybody was so emotional as a childhood scene could be felt,” said an emotional captain.
The captain believes that it will take some time to realise that they have conquered the world, and for the next 4 years, they will be crowned as the reigning world champions.
“I’m not able to think about what we’ve achieved and what we’ve given to our country. I can’t process it and feels like I was talking the same with Amol sir and feels like we have won some bilateral series and we are going home now. We will realise the impact a few months from here on and feels like a dream,” she added.
As Kaur leaped onto the catch to dismiss the last South African batter, she put it into her pocket and will keep it as a souvenir for lifetime. “I just ran after taking the last catch and it was Arundhati Reddy who made me realise that we’ve won. It cannot be expressed in words. Felt like running around the ground. Everyone enjoyed it.”
India were dealt with a massive blow as in-form opener Pratika Rawal was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament in India’s last league stage game against Bangladesh. The management brought in Shafali Verma- who was not even part of the list of reserves. Verma had lit up the domestic tournament for Haryana and was ready to make an impact in the all-important knockout matches. Though she fell cheaply in the semifinal against Australia, she was at her best with tremendous stroke play in the grand finale.
“As soon as Shafali was included in the squad, we knew that she has played and won the Under-19 World Cup as well. She was playing a domestic tournament. She was familiar with the pressure, the stage and how important her role was. Even after the semi-final, I was fully convinced that we had to give her one more chance because we know what she can bring to the table, because if she clicks, she is going to go big.
“Pratika was giving us a few overs, and Shafali was ready to bowl, that gave me a lot of confidence if needed and she can come and bowl those few overs. The partnership between Wolvaardt and Luus was starting to build. I just had a thought about giving her one over. And that moment, it instantly gave us back-to-back breakthroughs,” Kaur said.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who was the highest-run scorer for India in the World Cup had always envisioned a dream for India. With the bat in hand, her performances were the architect of India’s solid batting performances.
“Smriti’s contribution will always be remembered. All of us, whenever she is batting, we are praying that she gets runs and a century. Whenever she gets runs, everything else just falls into place. We have never just focused on individual performance in the team. We have always prayed for the other to get the runs. All these things have helped us to cross the line. It’s a team sport; everyone’s contribution is necessary.”
As the celebrations went along, there was a look of pure relief on Harmanpreet Kaur’s face. After years of hard work and near misses, it felt like she could finally breathe easy.
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