World Cup victory: Harmanpreet Kaur on support, planning, and future challenges
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur reflects on India’s historic World Cup win, praising the support from BCCI, the role of pay parity, and the transformation brought by the WPL. She also discusses the meticulous planning behind the victory and future goals
Hyderabad: Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said that the World Cup win hadn’t fully sunk in yet and that they were still processing the incredible achievement.
“I have watched the final match again and again — more times than I have ever watched any of our previous victories. It still feels just as special every time I see it,” Harmanpreet said on JioStar’s ‘Celebrating Champions’ show.
“Many positive changes have come, especially during this World Cup, and we must credit the BCCI and Jay Shah for their outstanding support. Pay parity played a crucial role in changing the landscape. The awareness campaigns motivated parents to encourage their daughters to play cricket, creating healthy competition and bringing more talent into the game,” she said. “The WPL transformed our dressing room mentality completely. Compared to previous World Cups, the atmosphere and mindset were completely different this time, thanks to the solid backing from the BCCI and our incredible fans,” she added.
On the systematic planning for their World Cup victory, Harmanpreet said: “After Amol sir joined as coach, we finally had proper planning. Before that, we struggled with frequent coaching changes. We actually planned everything two years ago — writing down each series, tournament schedules, training camps, and fitness programs.”
“The BCCI supported us completely, telling us to take whatever we needed without pressure. This trophy isn’t an overnight achievement but the result of two years of hard work by the entire team. Amol sir’s systematic approach, where we reviewed our progress every two months, helped us move forward step by step, and that planning is why we’re holding the trophy today,” she explained.
On the overwhelming public support during the World Cup, Harmanpreet said the final was a very special moment for everyone involved. “There was a strong belief that this team could achieve something extraordinary, and everyone felt we had already won before even taking the field,” she said.
“The incredible public response showed how much people wanted to be part of this movement. We received countless messages and calls from supporters, showing their support. During our practice sessions, we saw artificial stands being created in stadiums because ticket demand was so high. This proved that women’s cricket has truly arrived in our country. The fact that stadiums needed extra seating just showed that this team had something special that nobody wanted to miss,” the Indian captain said.
“We always felt our former players should be part of this World Cup victory. When we dreamed of winning the trophy, we imagined them being there with us. Having the World Cup in India meant they were all in the stadium, and we could share this special moment with them. Without these senior players who built women’s cricket when nobody knew about it, we wouldn’t be here today,” Harmanpreet said.
“They deserved to touch and lift this trophy more than anyone. Right after winning, we kept asking ‘Where is Jhulan didi? Where is Anjum didi?’ because we desperately wanted them in our celebration pictures,” she recalled.
On the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) facilities in Bangalore, Harmanpreet said they were absolutely amazing. “They have a great ground, excellent gym, and outstanding physios and trainers. We must give credit to the NCA because during our last three-four camps there, we got everything we needed,” she said.
“Earlier, we had to compromise due to limited facilities, but this new center is so good that India won’t have to wait long for our next World Cup. The quality of facilities, coaches, and staff we now have is something very special for Indian cricket,” she added.
On the upcoming challenges, Harmanpreet said, “We were waiting to cross that finish line in the World Cup, and now we have finally done it. Now it’s about making winning a habit because expectations will grow, and our hunger will only increase. Once you taste success, you want to keep experiencing it. With the World Cup in our hands, this team will now focus on the next challenge. In six months, another World Cup is coming, and we will give our best to bring one more trophy home for our fans.”
For her part, former India star Jhulan Goswami said that captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, and head coach Amol Muzumdar deserved great credit for this achievement.
“We’ve faced many ups and downs in ICC events, often falling at the final hurdle. But over the last two years, these three planned meticulously and prepared the entire team perfectly. I truly believe that when your process is right, results follow automatically. Every player and support staff contributed to this process, which is why we could create history and make the nation proud,” she said.
“Despite external negativity and talks, the leadership ensured none of it entered our dressing room, and that mental strength made all the difference in our World Cup victory,” Jhulan said.
