Not the end, it's the start of a new chapter: Harmanpreet Kaur after leading India to maiden Women's World Cup trophy

Navi Mumbai, Nov 3 (IANS) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur shared her raw emotions after leading her team to a maiden victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup on Sunday night here at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy and gave credit to every single member of the Indian contingent who made the historic achievement possible

Navi Mumbai, Nov 3 (IANS) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur shared her raw emotions after leading her team to a maiden victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup on Sunday night here at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy and gave credit to every single member of the Indian contingent who made the historic achievement possible

Kaur mentioned that the players remained positive and focused and gave it their all to lift the trophy. India started their campaign with consecutive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before enduring a series of losses against South Africa, Australia, and England.

They made their way into the semifinal after defeating New Zealand in a crucial encounter, and went on to beat 2022 champions Australia in the knockouts to make it to their third ODI World Cup final.

The Women in Blue finally ended their year-long drought and lifted their maiden ICC title to be named the world champions as Harmanpreet Kaur lifted the trophy in front of a packed home crowd. Speaking to Mel Jones during the presentation ceremony after the game, Kaur thanked the crowd for their support and lauded her players.

“I’m just so grateful for this crowd. They have been amazing. Thank you, everyone, for supporting us through all the ups and downs. And a special thanks to my dad - I almost forgot him - our selectors, and everyone back home. Thank you so much. Even after those three losses, we always had that belief. We spoke about it after the last game - we knew this team had something special to turn things around. Credit to every single member. They stayed positive, focused, and gave everything day and night. This team truly deserves to be here.”

She praised Shafali Verma for taking up the responsibility at a very vital stage during the game, and revealed how the 21-year-old was ready to bowl 10 overs for the team if the need be. Shafali notched up a brilliant 87 while opening the lineup in the first innings, and went on to pick two key wickets of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp in the second innings to get her side important breakthroughs.

“When Laura and Sune were batting, they looked really good. I saw Shefali standing there, and the way she batted earlier - I just knew it was her day. My heart said, “Give her one over.” I went with my gut. I asked her if she was ready, and she said yes immediately. She’s always wanted to contribute with the ball, and that over changed everything for us. When she first joined the team, we told her she might need to bowl two or three overs. She said, “If you give me the ball, I’ll bowl ten for the team!” That’s how confident she is. She’s fearless, positive, and always ready to step up for the team,” Kaur added.

The Indian skipper acknowledged that while the 299-run target was not enough against strong opponents like South Africa, the Indian bowlers and fielders seized the moment when the Proteas panicked, which led to India’s win.

“Today’s pitch was very different - the rain and overhead conditions made it tricky. We knew 290 was a fighting total in the final. Finals always come with pressure. Credit to South Africa, they played beautifully. But in the end, when they panicked a bit, we seized the moment, took those crucial wickets, and turned the game our way,” she said.

Speaking of the feeling of winning a maiden World Cup title, Kaur added, “Very special. Every World Cup, we would talk as a team about what we needed to do to cross that final line. The last two years under Amol sir, we’ve worked so hard. He kept reminding us that this team is capable of something extraordinary. Credit to the support staff and the BCCI for trusting us - they didn’t make too many changes, they believed in this group. And today, we’re standing here because of everyone who’s been part of this journey - past and present.

“This is just the beginning. We wanted to break this barrier, and now we’ve done it. Our next goal is to make this consistent - to make it happen again and again. We’ve got the Champions Cup and another World Cup next year. Big moments are coming, and we just want to keep improving day by day. This is not the end - it’s the start of a new chapter.”

--IANS

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