India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar opened up about the intense pressure of coaching, revealing he endured sleepless nights ahead of the must-win clash against New Zealand in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, a game that sparked India’s historic triumph. Speaking at a felicitation event at Bombay Gymkhana, the former Mumbai batter contrasted his calm playing days with the high-stakes anxiety of leading the team through a hat-trick of defeats to secure their maiden senior-level ICC title.
Muzumdar’s candid admission highlighted the shift from player to coach. “I didn’t have a sleepless night before my (first-class) debut for Mumbai because Kadu bhai (former India player Karsan Ghavri) was my manager. I knew he would take care of it,” he recalled. But the World Cup must-win against New Zealand changed everything: “Before the New Zealand game, there were a couple of sleepless nights because that was the must-win game.”
India arrived at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on October 23, desperate for redemption. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s side had suffered three straight losses, while New Zealand, led by Sophie Devine, battled rain-washed games. This virtual quarterfinal decided the final semi-final spot, with Australia already topping the table after halting England’s unbeaten streak.
Opting to bowl first, Devine handed India the initiative. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal steadied with a cautious powerplay before unleashing against spin. Rawal reached the landmark of 1,000 ODI runs in her 23rd innings (fastest for India). Their 212-run stand, the highest for any wicket by India in Women’s ODI World Cups, ended when veteran Suzie Bates dismissed Mandhana for 109 off 95.
Jemimah Rodrigues, promoted to No. 3, ignited fireworks with Rawal, adding 76 runs to push India past 300. Rawal’s maiden World Cup century (122 off 134) fell to a stunning airborne catch by substitute Hannah Rowe. Rain interruptions reduced the game to 49 overs, but Rodrigues (76* off 55) and Harmanpreet (10 off 11) steered India to 340/3, their highest World Cup total. New Zealand bowlers Rosemary Mair (1/52), Bates (1/40), and Amelia Kerr (1/69) toiled without much reward.
Revised to 44 overs with a DLS target of 325, New Zealand fought back. Bates fell early to Renuka Singh, but Amelia Kerr (45 off 53) and Brooke Halliday (81 off 84) rebuilt with partnerships of 50 and 56 runs. Halliday anchored further stands of 39 and 72, while Isabella Gaze smashed 65* off 51. Yet India’s bowlers struck collectively: Renuka (2/25), Kranti Gaud (2/48), Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, and even part-timer Pratika Rawal (1/19) restricted them to 271/8, a 53-run defeat. Mandhana’s 14th ODI ton (her third in World Cups) earned Player of the Match honours, propelling India to the semis.
Muzumdar pinpointed Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127 off 134 (14 fours) in the semi-final against Australia as pivotal. Chasing 339 at DY Patil, her knock, paired with Harmanpreet’s 89 off 88 (10 fours, 2 sixes), sealed a 5-wicket win. “We always believed that if we have to win the World Cup, we’ll have to beat Australia somewhere down the line. Jemimah’s knock was phenomenal, a knock for the ages,” Muzumdar said. Rodrigues finished third in India’s run charts with 292 runs at 58.40 average and 101.03 strike rate.
The final at DY Patil pitted India against South Africa, resulting in a 52-run victory and India’s first senior ICC title. Harmanpreet became the first Indian captain to lift one at home. In a touching gesture, her idea, she handed the trophy to legends Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra, who teared up on the sidelines.
“Lifting the World Cup has been a surreal moment, and it has changed the lives of a lot of cricketers in India, including me,” Muzumdar reflected. He honoured his mentor Ramakant Achrekar, emphasising instinct over tech: “There’s data, there’s analysis. You just need to pick small little snippets out of it and then make a story.” Under Muzumdar’s guidance, sleepless nights forged eternal glory.
(Quotes sourced from Sportstar)
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