India women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur has declared that the Women in Blue are no longer content with chasing history — they want to make 'winning a habit' following their landmark ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 title, their maiden ICC women's trophy. Writing ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup in England, Kaur said the triumph has fundamentally reset the team's ambitions and raised the bar for what success looks like.

From Historic Win to Higher Standards

India's first-ever ICC women's title sent shockwaves through domestic cricket and intensified expectations heading into the upcoming T20 showpiece. For Kaur, however, the trophy was a launchpad rather than a destination.

'Winning that World Cup was a seminal moment for women's cricket in India. It was bigger than one trophy. Most importantly, it brought belief and showed young girls that the highest stage is not out of reach,' Kaur wrote in her ICC column.

She added: 'The Women's World Cup 2025 win gave us a massive boost in confidence. However, it was only the beginning. We want to make winning a habit. While the 2025 World Cup win gave us immense joy, it also gave us responsibility.'

A Demanding Build-Up to England

India's preparation for the T20 World Cup has been anything but straightforward. The side swept Sri Lanka at home, claimed a historic T20I series win in Australia — their first there in ten years — before suffering a series defeat in South Africa. Kaur described the varied experiences as valuable preparation.

'The recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa have helped us test ourselves and given us plenty of learnings,' she said. Notably, the South Africa setback underlines that this squad is still being stress-tested, which Kaur frames as a positive rather than a setback.

The T20 Challenge: Margins Are Smaller

Kaur is clear-eyed about what the shorter format demands, particularly at ICC level where a single over can decide a tournament.

'Every ICC trophy has its own challenges. The format is shorter, the margins are smaller, and the pressure is greater. We will have to be sharper right from the start, and winning the key moments will be crucial,' she said. A T20 World Cup win, she believes, would confirm that India's rise is not a one-off — it would 'signal the beginning of a stronger and more consistent era for Indian women's cricket.'

WPL's Role in Deepening the Talent Pool

India's squad for the tournament blends proven match-winners with four debutants at the ICC stage: Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani, and Kranti Gaud. Kaur credited the Women's Premier League (WPL) for accelerating their development.

'A lot of credit goes to the WPL. It has unearthed real talent and given players regular exposure to pressure situations, higher standards, and some of the best cricketers in the world. The players have grown in maturity, and the league has helped build a winning mindset,' she wrote. The WPL's role in bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket has been widely acknowledged, and Kaur's endorsement adds further weight to calls for its expansion.

England, Memories, and a New Chapter

England holds a special place in Kaur's cricketing story. Her unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 2017 Women's World Cup semifinal remains one of the most celebrated innings in the women's game and is widely credited with transforming public perception of women's cricket in India.

'My 171 against Australia changed a lot of things in my life. The team's performance in the tournament was a turning point for Indian women's cricket,' she recalled. Though India fell short in the final that year, the homecoming reception signalled a new era of recognition for the sport.

Now, nearly a decade on, Kaur is leading a side that carries both the weight of history and the momentum of a world title. India have been drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and South Africa. They open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on 14 June. 'Looking ahead, we want to keep getting better, pushing the standard higher and making winning a habit,' Kaur said.