New Delhi, Nov 7 (NationPress) Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India, disclosed that cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar contacted the team just a day prior to the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final. He provided them with motivational words and shared his invaluable experiences from competing on such a prestigious platform.

The call from Tendulkar, who famously faced the disappointment of several World Cup failures before finally clinching the trophy on home turf in 2011, acted as a significant morale booster for India. They went on to defeat South Africa by 52 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, securing their inaugural Women’s ODI World Cup title. “The night before the match, Sachin (Tendulkar) sir called. He shared his experience and urged us to maintain our composure. When the game speeds up, just take a moment to slow it down. Aim to control the pace because moving too quickly can lead to mistakes,” she recalled.

“That's what we need to avoid. I was reflecting on all the counsel I received from senior players. To maintain control and stay patient, the moment will arrive when you can seize it,” Harmanpreet conveyed during the ICC Review show on Friday.

As the final wicket of Nadine de Klerk fell, with Harmanpreet taking the catch, an overwhelming rush of emotion filled the stadium. For Harmanpreet and her teammates, this victory represented much more than just a title; it was the realization of a long-held dream.

“I still find it hard to believe. Whenever we meet, we just keep saying, ‘world champion.’ It’s an entirely different feeling. We had been anticipating this moment for so long. My parents were in attendance,” she expressed.

“For me, lifting the World Cup trophy with them was incredibly special. Since my childhood, they have listened to me declare my desire to represent India, lead the team, and win the World Cup.”

“Honestly, I can't fully comprehend this right now. Perhaps in a few months, I will understand what we have achieved and the significance of it for our country. It's hard to process at this moment,” she added.

“I discussed this with Amol Muzumdar sir, and it feels like we have won a bilateral series and are simply heading home. The gravity of this achievement will sink in later; for now, it just feels surreal,” she elaborated.

India’s historic victory was accompanied by deeply emotional scenes, as the triumphant team also welcomed legends Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami to raise the trophy high. Both cricketing legends, who were present in commentary roles, had played pivotal roles in India's near-misses in the 2005 and 2017 World Cup finals.

“After our return from the last World Cup in 2022, we were all quite disheartened. We knew it was the last World Cup for Jhulan di and Mithali di. Smriti and I were in conversation, feeling sad that we couldn’t secure the win for them,” she recounted.

“However, we committed that whenever we succeeded in the future, we would ensure they were in the stadium to share that moment. Not just them, but Diana Edulji ma’am was continually messaging us.”

“Shubhangi Kulkarni ma’am and Sudha Shah ma’am, who was our coach when I made my debut, were also there. Sharing this moment with them was truly special. In our dreams and visualizations, they were always with us. We couldn’t imagine this moment without them,” Harmanpreet concluded.