Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur recently led her squad to their first-ever World Cup victory, triumphing over South Africa by 52 runs in the final match held in Navi Mumbai. For the 36-year-old skipper, who began her cricket journey using a modified, oversized bat from her father’s kit as a child, this win represented the culmination of a lifelong dream.
Kaur fondly recalled her early days, practicing with her father’s adapted bat and watching cricket on television, all while unaware that women’s cricket even existed. She recounted this touching memory in a video released by the BCCI:
“Ever since I was a kid, and started understanding likes and dislikes, I’ve always seen a bat in my hand. I still remember playing with a bat from my dad’s kit bag—it was very big. One day, my dad cut an old bat of his for me, and we played with that. Whenever we watched a match on TV, or saw India play, or watched the World Cup, I used to think, ‘I need an opportunity like this.’ At that time, I didn’t even know about women’s cricket.”
This historic victory follows years of unwavering dedication and resilience, including overcoming the bitter disappointment of previous international competitions.
She continued, reflecting on her journey: “I was dreaming, ‘When will I wear this blue jersey?’ So, I think this means a lot to me—a young girl who didn’t know about women’s cricket, but still dreamt that one day I would bring that change to our country. And I think, it all shows that you should never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you. You never think, when will it happen, how will it happen. You only think, ‘This will happen.’”
The captain emphasized the profound emotional significance of the achievement, describing it as a childhood dream realized:
“Personally, it’s a very emotional moment because it was my dream since childhood. Ever since I started playing, it was my dream to win the World Cup one day. If I got an opportunity to lead my team, I didn’t want to miss this. So, I said all these things from the bottom of my heart. And God heard everything one by one. It’s like magic. I don’t understand how everything is suddenly falling into place. Everything kept happening one by one. Finally, we are world champions. I am feeling very relaxed, very humble, so grateful to God, for giving us this team we’ve been dreaming of for so many years, and now we are living this moment.”
Harmanpreet also recalled the heartbreaking loss in the 2017 World Cup final against England in London, where India fell short by just 9 runs. “After the 2017 World Cup, when we came back, we were so heartbroken. We lost the game by 9 runs. We didn’t understand how that happened because that game was also fully in control,” she explained, referencing the match where India was all out for 219 while chasing 229.
The current team, which includes seasoned players from the 2017 squad like Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, garnered immense support from fans across the nation.
“Everybody was waiting for this moment. And I think it’s because of everyone’s blessings and prayers that we were able to cross that line. I don’t think we were alone playing in the stadium. Everybody—the entire stadium, people who were watching us on TV—everybody came together to win this, because it wasn’t possible alone.”
Her powerful message to aspiring cricketers remains simple yet profound: “Never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you.”