In what promises to be a landmark chapter for Indian and world cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur stepped into her pre-match press conference ahead of the historic ICC Women’s ODI World Cup Final at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, with the gravitas that only a captain on the verge of history can truly own. India, propelled by one of their finest ODI chases, overhauling Australia’s formidable 339 in a dramatic semi-final on October 30, are now set for their third World Cup final (after 2005 and 2017) and their first-ever title shot at home.
Their opponents, South Africa, led by Laura Wolvaardt, have already etched history, becoming the first South African side (men or women) to reach an ODI World Cup final after routing England by 125 runs in Guwahati. Against this electrifying backdrop, Kaur delivered reflections and rallying cries laced with candour, resolve, and an unmistakable sense of occasion.
A Nation’s Pride, a Captain’s Dream
Harmanpreet Kaur’s words captured the hopes of a cricket-mad country about to witness an opportunity 20 years in the making. “Well, it’s a proud moment for all of us, and at the same time, we’ve been talking about that, whenever we have enjoyed and given our 100%, we always get positive results and our mindset is the same that we have to be there and be enjoying ourselves, no matter whatever is the situation,” she began, drawing on a theme of process and togetherness that has threaded itself through India’s campaign.
Her journey to this moment, in her 5th ODI World Cup campaign, her first as a captain, and in front of a home crowd, felt all the more poignant: “Yeah, as I mentioned, it’s a proud moment for me and the entire team and I’m sure, the entire country must also be very proud, the way we’ve played in the last few games, and yeah, it’s a big day, big game, and at the same time, you know, we just want to be very focused and be in the moment, I think that is the key.”
Learning, Growing, and Motivating the New Generation
With several new faces in the squad, Kaur underscored how simply reaching the final was motivation enough: “I think, when you are at this stage, playing a World Cup Final, there can’t be any greater motivation than that. The whole team is fully charged up, standing with each other, praying for each other, and sharing blessings with each other. That shows how much we’re together as a unit, and how ready we are for this game.” Crucially, she emphasised the long arc of preparation, noting, “Strategy and everything is not like we reached the final, and today only we have to do everything, we’ve been doing this for the last two years, knowing that India is going to host the World Cup.”
The Weight of Expectations, and the Triumphs of the Journey
Facing a nation’s expectations, especially after falling agonizingly short in 2005 and 2017, Harmanpreet was clear-eyed: “Yeah, I mean, we know what it feels like, ending up on the losing side, but after winning, what it feels like, that is something which we’re looking forward to, and hopefully tomorrow’s day would be special for us. We’ve worked so hard till now, it’s only about getting everything tomorrow for the team.”
The new finalist pairing with South Africa, and Australia or England missing out for the first time, was, for Kaur, a sign of a shifting landscape: “It’s feeling good to see that two different teams have made it [to the final]. There’s even more excitement because of the two different teams making the final, and for us reaching the final, it’s also very special, not only for us, but for Indian fans also, because they’ve been the biggest support for us.” She even touched upon the practical headaches of just how big this moment is: “Such days are rare when there’s pressure for these small things [like tickets], too. So, I think, feeling good that, not only cricket, but there’s pressure for tickets too.”
Impact Beyond the Boundary and the 2017 Legacy
Harmanpreet Kaur’s iconic match-winning knock of 171* (115 balls) against a formidable Australian unit in the 2nd semi-final, in Derby on 20th July 2017, was the tipping of the iceberg moment, making the world take notice of the talent and potential of the women’s game, especially in India. To date, this stands as the highest individual score in the semi-final (men or women) of the ODI World Cup.
Recalling 2017, Kaur highlighted the growth in women’s cricket: “Last time when we had reached the final, and on coming back to India, we got to see a massive change, women’s cricket was moving forward, so many girls were seen on the ground. I’m sure when we win this final, we’ll get to see a lot more changes, not only internationally but at the domestic level too; there’ll be even more improvements. We’re really looking forward to that moment, when women’s cricket is taken even more seriously here, with more viewership.”
She dwelled on the journey since their heartbreaking loss to England in 2017: “Even after that, if you see, there’s been a lot of ups and downs for the team. We’ve prepared ourselves in the last two years in such a way that we try to put ourselves in every condition and situation. It’s now only about bringing everything together and helping this team to, you know, pass that line.”
Resilience After Group Stage Stumbles
India’s league campaign saw them lose to all three other semi-finalists, South Africa, Australia, and England, before recovering with a defining win against New Zealand and then a semi-final triumph. “We were never shattered in the team, because even though we lost, having three losses, after that, too, we were all together with each other. We had that positive mindset, which helped us so much that we were able to reach the final,” said Harmanpreet, emphasising the leadership group’s ability to course-correct under pressure. “We were talking about what we can do moving forward, how we can improve ourselves even more, and along with that, we’ve to stay together, and keep helping each other.”
Facing South Africa, Again
Having lost narrowly to South Africa in the group stage, Kaur was generous in her appraisal: “They’ve played very good cricket, even though they didn’t have a good start, the way they came back in this tournament, I think that’s outstanding to watch. We know they have a good bowling attack, and at the same time, they have depth in their batting. But we also have a lot of positives. Tomorrow’s match is going to be very interesting, and we’re mentally and physically preparing ourselves from some time now.”
After the emotional high of the semi-final, rest and mental readiness have been prioritised: “The semi-final was a very high-pressure and intense game. After that, recovery was something which we all paid more attention to because as much fresher we can stay for the final, and feel mentally fresh for the game, that is more important. We’ve done a lot, and now it’s only about keeping ourselves fresh for tomorrow.”
On playing at home, Kaur saluted the Mumbai crowds and acknowledged the challenge of harnessing, rather than succumbing to, overwhelming emotions: “The crowd has been amazing, especially in Mumbai, there’s always a full house, and I think we get a lot of motivation and support from them. Emotions always go up and down, because it’s tough, but at the same time, we’ve been talking that tomorrow’s match is more important because keeping ourselves in balance and focus is something which is the key.” The team has been working on “focusing on small things,” believing that ticking off minor targets will bring the bigger prize.
The Emotional Toll
Kaur was moved to tears in the dugout after the semi-final win: “I think I’m a very emotional person, and I cry a lot, so it’s not like that. I’ve cried only after losing, even after winning; I’ve cried many times. Beating a team like Australia, who are a big team on their own, and have always done well on the World stage, crossing that hurdle was something very special to all of us. You don’t need to control your emotions. If you feel like crying, cry because I think you don’t need to stop, and at the same time, just keep enjoying, there’s no bigger achievement than that for us.”
The Journey So Far
India’s journey, thrashing Sri Lanka in their opener, brushing aside Pakistan, then enduring a trio of group-stage defeats before rallying to beat New Zealand and then scripting an epic chapter against Australia, has been nothing short of dramatic. That India now stands one win away from a first-ever ODI World Cup crown is a testament to Kaur’s message: resilience, unity, and belief.
As we are just a few hours away from the iconic contest, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team are ready to chase their greatest dream yet backed by history, a billion hopes, and unbreakable resolve.
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