Beyond the World Cup trophy: How India’s women are shaping the future

Indian cricket fans have plenty to cheer about this year as their heroes won three major crowns, led by Harmanpreet Kaur’s women’s team, who clinched the ODI World Cup trophy.

The Men in Blue began by winning the Champions Trophy in India and finished the year with the Twenty20 Asia Cup in Dubai. The women’s team, however, claimed a remarkable 52-run World Cup final win over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium, their first in three attempts.

The silverware in India’s hands is the result of meticulous planning, which has altered the rhythm of women’s cricket in the country. The team translated sustained performances into success, and the victory lap is a statement on India women’s cricket’s bright future.

Harmanpreet-led team emulated the feat of Kapil’s Devils. Story lines follow a similar path, making the most of the slim chance to count. Indian women’s triumph has given the players the belief that they could conquer the world, something the men’s team achieved after stunning the mighty West Indies in the 1983 final at Lord’s.

The former captains and players joined in the victory lap, and the relief and the joy on their faces were palpable when they held the prestigious trophy that had eluded them after making two World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017. The impact of this win could travel miles beyond the
boundary ropes, which could give hope to every young girl to dream of donning the national colours.

No. 18 will not only denote Virat Kohli, but also Smriti Mandhana. The women’s jerseys have gained an invaluable reputation and have become on par with those of the men. Since the beginning of the Women’s Premier League, women’s cricket has been showing an upward trend. The stadiums during the World Cup had sizeable crowds with many young faces eager to emulate their idols playing inside the ground.

The triumph in England brought every young boy to the streets across the country, swelling the number phenomenally, despite cricket not being lucrative then. The monetary rewards that Twenty20 franchise leagues carry today will only spur the growth of women’s cricket even further.

The disappointment of losing in the league stage during the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE in 2024 steeled the nerves of the players. The board, team management, and the players began to prepare for the home World Cup, with the main focus on fitness.

“The last T20 World Cup was a difficult one for us to take. We had a clear focus on working on our fitness, working on each and every aspect. The way everyone just stuck in and played - in a World Cup like this, everyone was there for each other. I cannot tell you how the team environment is, and it was just magic,” Mandhana told the official broadcaster after the win.

The magic began to unfold during the semi-finals when Jemimah Rodrigues conjured up a trick to leave the seven-time champions, Australia, in awe.

“Every World Cup, we go in, and there have been so many heartbreaks for all of us. We always believe we have a bigger responsibility for women's cricket. To see the support we have gotten, I don't know how to explain the last 40 days,” the talismanic opener added.

The victory has made the entire country proud, and head coach Amol Muzumdar highlighted the way the team bounced back from the losses to cross the final hurdle, a hallmark of champions. A testimony to the team’s fighting spirit and resilience.

“We dominated the majority of those matches, and we just thought there were some hiccups when we could not get over the line. I know for a fact that the players have worked extremely hard for this. It’s an unbelievable achievement, and they have done every Indian proud. It’s a watershed moment for Indian cricket,” the 51-year-old Mumbaikar said.

In a year when Indian cricket celebrated success across formats, it is the women’s World Cup triumph that stands apart. Now that the wait is over, the team begins a new era in their march towards greatness.

“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. We want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning,” Harmanpreet said.