In a heartfelt moment that bridged India’s glittering ODI World Cup triumph with future ambitions, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur expressed deep emotion over a stand named in her honour at Omaxe Stadium in Dwarka.
The gesture honours her achievement as the first Indian captain to lift an ICC senior-level title, a historic 52-run victory over South Africa in the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on November 2, 2025. “I was very emotional. I think it’s a great achievement for me. As a cricketer, I only dreamed of playing for the country and winning titles, but I never imagined having a stand named after me in a stadium,” Kaur shared on the sidelines of the naming ceremony.
The World Cup glory, under head coach Amol Muzumdar’s guidance, etched Kaur’s name in history. She ended as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer with 260 runs at a strike rate of 89.04 and an average of 32.50 across 8 innings in 9 matches, including two half-centuries. Her standout knock, a gritty 89 off 88 balls with 10 boundaries and two maximums, forged a crucial 167-run third-wicket stand with Jemimah Rodrigues (127* off 134), powering India to a five-wicket semi-final win over Australia.
Jemimah Rodrigues earned Player of the Match honours. The final’s podium became even more poignant as Kaur handed the trophy to former legends part of the broadcasting team, Mithali Raj, joined by teary-eyed Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra. Both the Indian legends were in tears as they got the much-deserved opportunity to lift the World Cup, marking a tribute to the pioneers who built the foundation for India’s maiden senior ICC title.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s reflections extended to the gruelling multi-format series in Australia from February 15 to March 8, 2026, a three-match T20I series, three ODIs, and a one-off pink-ball Test. India, led by Kaur, split the T20Is 2-1: a 21-run DLS win in the first, a 19-run loss in the second, and a 17-run victory in the third. The ODIs brought a clean sweep defeat, by 6 wickets, 5 wickets, and 185 runs, leaving the multi-format scoreline at 8-4 before the Test. There, Australia routed India by 10 wickets on the third morning at W.A.C.A., Perth (March 6-9), ending India’s 20-year Test unbeaten streak since February 2006 and sealing a 12-4 points haul for the hosts. It doubled as Alyssa Healy’s swansong in her 299th and final international match.
Undeterred, Kaur advocated for more such series in the Future Tours Programme.
“I think such a multi-format series should happen because it gives you a lot of challenges. After every week, you have to play a different format, so I think this is a totally different experience. As cricketers, we have never gone through such an experience. Earlier, we mostly played either T20Is or ODIs, but playing all three formats together was a bit challenging. That said, I think we have taken a lot of learnings from it, and hopefully, if we get a chance in the future, we will try to give our best.”
Looking ahead, India heads to South Africa for a five-match T20I series from April 17-27, 2026, building momentum for the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales (June 12-July 5). Kaur emphasised the broader journey: “Look, I believe that in any field, you have to do something special, you have to win a title. Only then do you get recognition. Otherwise, it feels like all the hard work goes to waste. It’s not that we have worked hard only this year; we have been working hard for many years. Not just our team, but all the women cricketers before us have put in immense effort, often even spending from their own pockets. So, winning a title was very important. And after achieving that, the response we are getting from Indian fans, the media, and everyone else is a very big thing for us.”
She praised Omaxe’s initiative: “I think it’s a great initiative taken by Omaxe, and I hope that in the future we see more such recognitions.” This honour at Omaxe Stadium underscores Kaur’s legacy, fueling India’s charge toward more silverware in the coming years.
(Quotes sourced from PTI).
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.