In a powerful display of respect after India clinched their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night, captain Harmanpreet Kaur approached head coach Amol Muzumdar and touched his feet. This heartfelt gesture highlighted the deep connection between the skipper and Muzumdar, who took the helm of the team nearly two years ago in December 2023.
“Unbelievably unbelievable. It has not sunk in as of now, but I’m sure that as the days go by, it will probably sink in. But it’s a surreal feeling,” remarked Muzumdar, a former domestic cricket powerhouse from Mumbai. He amassed an impressive 11,167 runs in 171 first-class matches at an average of 48.13, including 30 centuries, during the 1990s and 2000s. He shared these sentiments when asked about the immense pride of coaching India to its first-ever World Cup triumph.
Muzumdar’s leadership prowess extends beyond this recent victory; he previously captained Mumbai to the Ranji Trophy title in the 2006-07 season and guided Mumbai to their first Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy title in 2022 with Ajinkya Rahane as captain.
The immediate aftermath of Harmanpreet’s crucial catch, which dismissed the last South Africa batter and secured the win, was a blur for Muzumdar. “After the catch, I don’t know what happened. The next five minutes were blurred. I was looking up in the dugout. I don’t know what happened, what transpired in the next five minutes. Everybody was hugging. So, it was an emotional moment for everyone.”
Discussing his dynamic with Harmanpreet and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Muzumdar revealed, “Harman and I don’t speak much. With Smriti, I discuss a lot of things about batting and planning. I share a very good working relationship with Harman. And so it should be. A coach and captain need to be on one page. We are always on the same page.”
Muzumdar hailed India’s World Cup victory as a “watershed moment in Indian cricket, and not just Indian women’s cricket,” providing a compelling example of its impact. “I just met a three- or four-year-old girl whose inspiration is Harman. She follows Harman wherever she goes. When you have these matches, such kids are inspired. So, there you go. I mean, the DY Patil Stadium was packed, and not just the stadium, I don’t know how many crores of people must have watched the final on television. And I’m sure from there, some of them must have got inspired. You never know. Like 1983 — it inspired a lot of cricketers in that generation,” he passionately explained.
Reflecting on India’s challenging World Cup journey, which saw them overcome three consecutive losses with three subsequent wins against formidable SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), Muzumdar praised his team’s resilience. “I kept telling the players that we have not lost the game, we just were not able to cross the line. We were competitive in those matches. We were very close to beating South Africa, Australia, and England. But the grit and determination that the girls have shown has been just phenomenal — against New Zealand in a virtual quarterfinal, the semifinals against Australia, and then against South Africa in the final,” he applauded.
Muzumdar pinpointed India’s opening match against Sri Lanka at Guwahati, where they secured a 59-run victory via the DLS method, as the “turning point” of their campaign. In that match, India struggled at 124 for six in 27 overs before Amanjot Kaur (57) and Deepti Sharma (53) forged a crucial 103-run seventh-wicket partnership, propelling them to 269 for eight in 47 overs.
“I think that right from the start, the mood was set in Guwahati, beating Sri Lanka, and we had a series of camps before we set off for the World Cup. So, Guwahati was a turning point. When we entered the ground at Guwahati, everything turned around.”