NEW DELHI: History was scripted on the midnight of Sunday (Nov 2) as the Indian women’s cricket team lifted its maiden ICC ODI World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. It was a night that will be remembered forever — a defining moment not just for Indian cricket, but for Indian women’s sport. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur stood at the heart of it all, and when ICC Chairman Jay Shah handed her the gleaming trophy, the stadium erupted. But it wasn’t just the triumph — it was her Lionel Messi-like celebration that captured the imagination of millions.Having taken the winning catch to dismiss Nadine de Klerk, Harmanpreet sealed India’s place in history. Her team had done what generations before could only dream of — becoming world champions for the first time. With the win, India joined an elite list of nations — Australia, England, and New Zealand — as the only teams to have lifted the Women’s ODI World Cup.
However, the post-match scenes became just as iconic as the victory itself. Once the trophy was presented to Harmanpreet, she danced her way to the podium, where her jubilant teammates awaited her. The walk, the poise, and the smile were reminiscent of Lionel Messi’s iconic celebration after leading Argentina to the FIFA World Cup in December 2022. While Messi’s moment came under the lights of Lusail Stadium, Harmanpreet’s came under the glow of fireworks in Navi Mumbai.Unlike Messi’s long march with the trophy, Harmanpreet’s was short and simple — yet filled with equal emotion. She walked with pride before raising the trophy over her head as chants of “India! India!” echoed across the stands.Interestingly, fans also drew parallels between her celebration and that of Rohit Sharma, who had done a similar walk after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. A video has since gone viral on social media, showing Rohit’s lookalike “training” Harmanpreet to walk with the same flair ahead of the World Cup. It appears Harmanpreet took that inspiration quite literally, winning her own coveted title and celebrating in trademark Indian captain style.Her leadership throughout the tournament was both intuitive and fearless — a quality that came to the fore in the final. When Harmanpreet addressed the post-match presentation, she made sure to keep her focus on the bigger picture.Watch the video here“This is the start. We wanted to break this barrier. And our next plan is to make this a habit. We were waiting for it, now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning,” the skipper said, her voice filled with pride and purpose.Captaincy is often about instinct — and Harmanpreet showed shades of Kapil Dev’s legendary gut feeling from June 25, 1983, when he handed one more over to Madan Lal against a rampaging Vivian Richards. On this historic night, Harmanpreet’s own instinct told her to hand the ball to Shafali Verma — a move that proved decisive.
“When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking really good. I just saw Shafali standing there, and the way she was batting, I knew it was our day,” Harmanpreet recalled.“I thought I have to go with my gut feeling. My heart was saying, I had to give her at least one over. And that was the turning point for us. In the end, they panicked a little and that is where we cashed (in). At the right time, Deepti came in and took those wickets.”Shafali, who had bowled just 14 overs in her entire ODI career before this match, rose to the occasion — claiming two crucial wickets.“When she came to the team, we spoke to her that we might need 2-3 overs, and she said if you give me bowling, I will bowl ten overs. Credit goes to her, she was so positive and she was there for the team. Salute her,” Harmanpreet said, lauding the young star’s contribution.Behind the scenes, the role of coach Amol Muzumdar and the support staff was equally significant. Harmanpreet acknowledged their constant motivation and planning.“Amol sir was with the team and he was always telling us to come up with something special, and to keep preparing for the big occasion,” she said.“We should give credit to the support staff and the BCCI. We did not make too many changes (to our squad), and they really invested in us, and because of everyone, we are standing here.”From gut calls to graceful celebrations, Harmanpreet’s leadership defined India’s golden night. And as fireworks lit up the Mumbai sky, it became clear — this was not just a victory, it was the beginning of a new era for women’s cricket in India.
