Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur spoke from the heart after India’s memorable World Cup win. She opened up about the people who made this journey possible, her teammates, the support staff, and the fans. In her words, this win will surely take time to sink in.
Harmanpreet praised Deepti Sharma, one of India’s most consistent players. She said the team always knew how talented Deepti was, but sometimes she needed a little encouragement to believe in herself fully. Sharma bagged the Player of the Tournament award, and in the final, scored a crucial fifty and took a five-wicket haul as well.
“For many years, we’ve been telling Deepti Sharma that there’s something special in her, and she has to trust that thing. She always contributes with the bat and ball, and obviously, is a fantastic fielder.
“It was just that we needed to push her cause somewhere we all were feeling that she holds herself back. That she doesn’t believe as much in her for the team. I think we should give credit to our support staff. They’ve been pushing her. Harsha sir, our trainer, Amol sir and Bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi, they’ve pushed her and so her best came out today.”
She then spoke about how important it is to have someone like coach Amol Mazumdar in the team who can keep everyone calm during tough moments.
“We always needed someone in the dressing room who can control emotions, because on the bigger stage, we would collapse. To control and balance the moments was something we were talking about. On the first day, when he joined the team, we as a team saw something special in him.
“In the last 2 years; what we’ve achieved has taken 15-16 years. That shows how much caliber he (Mazumdar) has to help any team win. That stability and calmness that he has brought to the team is special- and we should give credit to him for the hard work he has done and brought the best out of everyone.”
Harmanpreet also shared how playing in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and being part of two-time champions Mumbai Indians changed her mindset. She said the environment there helped her overcome self-doubt and taught her to stay composed in pressure situations.
“When you share the dressing room with someone, you get to know them better. We’ve certain preconceptions of them, but when you get to know them personally, you get to know how they exactly feel when they are in pressure situations.
“When you are playing in the WPL, it is also a big stage and lifting the trophy is also a big thing. We’ve got a self-belief that if we can do it in the WPL, we can break that barrier in the Indian team as well and we can create a very good team. I give a lot of credit to Mumbai Indians as well because since I’ve joined them, I’ve been able to adapt that champion mindset very quickly. Before that, there used to be self-doubt.
“The culture at MI has helped me change my mindset. Even now, when we lost three games in a row- from MI- Kiran More sir, Rahul Sanghvi sir and Nita Ambani ma’am – they were continuously texting me that this team has something special. Even last night before the match, Sachin sir shared his experience and asked us to keep our balance.
“When the game is going fast, just slow it down. ‘Try and control it because when you go too fast, chances are you can stumble. That’s what we need to avoid.’ I was just thinking of all the advice I was getting from the seniors. To keep control, stay patient, the moment will come, and you will be able to grasp it,” Harmanpreet added.
While remembering India’s loss in the 2022 ODI World Cup, Harmanpreet got emotional. She said that not being able to win the trophy for legends like Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj still hurts, but when India finally did it, she wished they could be there to witness the moment.
“When we returned after playing the 2022 World Cup, all of us were very sad. We knew that it was the last World Cup for Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj. Smriti and I were very sad that we couldn’t deliver it for them. But whenever we do it in future and win the World Cup, we would make sure that they are in the stadium, and we want to capture that moment with them.”
Finally, the Indian captain thanked the fans for their love and constant support. She said the team played for them, and their energy made the victory even more special.
“We can’t express in words what fans have done for us. All we could do is deliver for the team. It is because of them that we have enjoyed the moment. In 2013, there wasn’t much support, but now there was so much involvement in any aspect.”
Harmanpreet’s words show how much this win means to her and the team- not just as cricketers, but as people who’ve grown together through ups and downs. It’s a story of belief, teamwork, and the power of staying calm when it matters most.
Loves all things female cricket