Ramakrishna Udupa
Hard work, luck, goodwill, destiny, and timing — everything must align for a big moment in history. Indian women’s cricket has waited long for its true inflection point, and now it has arrived most grandly. Harman’s Sena has filled the nation with pride — and inspired every woman who has battled odds to carve a place in Indian cricket.
Credit is due to Jay Shah and the BCCI for ensuring pay parity and providing every support system needed for this team to flourish.
This World Cup was a reminder of how thin the line is between being champions and being forgotten. India’s campaign looked shaky early on — especially after the disheartening bowling effort against Australia. It seemed the familiar old script of hype without substance was returning. But destiny had different plans.
Then came the turnaround. Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues led the charge with determination and grit. Jemimah’s calmness under pressure, while scripting a memorable century and powering India to the highest successful run chase in Women’s World Cup history, changed the entire narrative.
The final itself was a tale of destiny — both cruel and beautiful. South African captain Laura Wolvaardt was nothing short of sensational — 571 runs, averaging 71, with two hundreds and three fifties — yet she walked away heartbroken. Brilliant, but destined to finish second.
On the other side, Shafali Verma’s redemption was pure cinematic magic — dropped earlier, she rose to dominate the final with a crucial 87 and two wickets at a miserly economy. A comeback for the ages.
And what do we say about Coach Amol Muzumdar? A domestic giant who never got to wear the India cap, but now holds the World Cup trophy as the architect of this golden squad. Wah destiny, wah teri leela — tu hi jaane!
This triumph was built on a collective effort. Every player stood tall:
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Smriti Mandhana (434 runs) – The bedrock of India’s batting.
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Pratika (308 runs) – The arrival of a new star.
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Jemimah Rodrigues (292 runs) – Rock-solid under pressure.
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Harmanpreet Kaur (260 runs) – The captain who led from the front.
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Richa Ghosh (235 runs) – Power-hitter, match-turner.
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Deepti Sharma (215 runs & 22 wickets) – The most complete all-rounder of the tournament.
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Harleen (169 runs) – The quiet fighter, always ready.
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Amanjot (146 runs & 6 wickets) – That stunning catch in the final will be remembered forever.
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Sneh Rana (99 runs & 7 wickets) – Steady, fierce, invaluable.
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Shafali Verma (83 runs & 2 wickets) – The hero of the final.
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Charani (14 wickets) – Silently lethal; the top wicket-taker.
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Kranti (9 wickets) – Consistent, critical breakthroughs.
And to the support staff — the invisible backbone of this remarkable journey — thank you.
Team India did it.
A dream realized. A nation inspired.
A new dawn for women’s cricket. 🇮🇳
