I hope Indian women will make it a winning habit: Harmanpreet

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur called the Women’s World Cup triumph the beginning of a new era for Indian women’s cricket, saying the goal now is to “make winning a habit.” She credited Shafali Verma’s bowling move and Deepti Sharma’s heroics for the victory.

HYDERABAD: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she hoped that the team will make winning a habit after winning the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 title.

“This is the start. We wanted to break this barrier. And our next plan is to make this a habit,” the skipper said after India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup in Navi Mumbai past midnight.

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“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,” she said at the post-match presentation.

“Last game also, we spoke about the self-belief that was there, even though we lost three back-to-back games. We knew we had something special to turn things around,” Harmanpreet said.

“They stayed positive, we knew what we had to do, everyone was so involved, they were there day and night, and this team deserves to be there,” she said about her teammates.

Reflecting on the magical move to bring Shafali Verma as the surprise packet in bowling, Harmanpreet recalled that South Africa was looking really good. “I just saw Shafali standing there, and the way she batted today, I knew it was her day. I thought I had to go with my gut feeling. And that was the turning point for us,” she revealed.

“When Shafali came to the team, we spoke to her that we might need 2-3 overs, and she said I will bowl ten overs. Credit goes to her; she was so positive, and she was there for the team,” said the victorious Indian captain.

“Today’s pitch was totally different. We knew this total is enough for a final because you always have a little extra pressure,” Harmanpreet said.

“We should give credit to South Africa, they batted beautifully. In the end, they panicked a little, and that is where we cashed (in). At the right time, Deepti (Sharma) came in and took those wickets,” she said, referring to the all-rounder’s five-wicket haul to wrap up the South African innings.