Navi Mumbai, Nov 3 (NationPress) India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed her heartfelt emotions after guiding her team to their first-ever victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup on Sunday night at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. She acknowledged every single member of the Indian squad who contributed to this remarkable achievement.

Kaur highlighted the players' unwavering positivity and focus, which fueled their efforts to claim the trophy. India commenced their journey with victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan but faced challenges with defeats from South Africa, Australia, and England.

They advanced to the semifinals by overcoming New Zealand in a pivotal match and triumphed over the defending champions, Australia, in the knockout stage, securing a spot in their third ODI World Cup final.

The Women in Blue finally broke their year-long title drought, lifting their inaugural ICC title and earning the title of world champions as Kaur hoisted the trophy before an enthusiastic home crowd. During the presentation ceremony with Mel Jones, Kaur expressed gratitude to the audience for their unwavering support and commended her teammates.

“I’m incredibly thankful for this crowd. They have been phenomenal. Thank you all for standing by us through every challenge. A special mention to my dad— I almost forgot him—our selectors, and everyone back home. Thanks so much. Even after those three losses, we maintained our belief. We discussed it post the last game and knew this team had something extraordinary to offer. Kudos to every member; they remained positive, focused, and dedicated day and night. This team truly deserves this moment,” Kaur stated.

She commended Shafali Verma for stepping up at a crucial time, revealing how the 21-year-old was prepared to bowl 10 overs if necessary. Shafali scored an impressive 87 while opening the innings and took two vital wickets of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp, providing essential breakthroughs for her team.

“When Laura and Sune were batting, they seemed strong. I saw Shafali there, and based on her earlier performance, I knew it was her day. My instinct told me to give her an over. I followed my gut, asked her if she was ready, and she eagerly said yes. She’s always wanted to contribute with the ball, and that over changed everything for us. When she joined the team, we advised her she might need to bowl a couple of overs. She replied, 'If you give me the ball, I’ll bowl ten for the team!' That’s her confidence. She’s fearless, positive, and always ready to step up,” Kaur added.

The Indian captain acknowledged that while the 299-run target was challenging against formidable opponents like South Africa, the Indian bowlers and fielders capitalized when the Proteas faltered, leading to India’s victory.

“Today’s pitch was different—the rain and overhead conditions made it tricky. We knew 290 was a competitive total in the final. Finals always bring pressure. Credit to South Africa for their performance. But ultimately, when they panicked, we took crucial wickets and turned the game in our favor,” she noted.

Reflecting on the significance of winning their first World Cup title, Kaur remarked, “It’s incredibly special. In every World Cup, we’ve discussed as a team what it takes to cross that final line. Over the last two years under Amol sir, we’ve worked tirelessly. He constantly reminded us of our potential for greatness. Credit to the support staff and BCCI for their trust—they didn’t make many changes and believed in this group. Today, we stand here because of everyone who has been part of this journey, both past and present.

“This is merely the beginning. We aimed to break this barrier, and now we have. Our next objective is to maintain this consistency—to achieve it repeatedly. We have the Champions Cup and another World Cup next year. Significant moments are ahead, and we want to keep improving daily. This is not the end; it’s the start of a new chapter.”