&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Cricket is everyone's game': Harmanpreet Kaur’s emotional post after India’s historic World Cup win")
India ODI captain Harmanpreet Kaur shared a heartfelt message after leading India to their first-ever women’s World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa in Navi Mumbai on Sunday (November 2). The victory was sealed with a sensational catch by Harmanpreet, who dismissed Nadine de Klerk off Deepti Sharma’s bowling. It marked a historic achievement, with players, staff, former legends, and fans teary-eyed as they celebrated this long-awaited triumph. Among the emotional supporters was former men’s team captain Rohit Sharma, who was present at the DY Patil Stadium. He joined the standing ovation for Harmanpreet and her team after they clinched the win on home soil.
As is now customary in major sporting events, captains often post a picture with the trophy in the final moments of victory. Following Lionel Messi’s tradition after his World Cup win in Qatar and Rohit Sharma’s own post following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup victory, Harmanpreet became the latest to share such an image.
See Harmanpreet Kaur's post here
In her Instagram post, Harmanpreet posed with the trophy, sporting a t-shirt with an impactful twist on a famous cricket saying. The traditional phrase, "Cricket is a gentleman’s game," was altered to "Cricket is a gentleman's (struck off) everyone's game." Along with the picture, Harmanpreet wrote, "Some dreams are shared by a billion people. That's why cricket is everyone’s game," reinforcing the inclusivity of the sport.
India set a challenging target of 299, thanks to an explosive 87 from Shafali Verma and a quick-fire 58 by Deepti Sharma. In response, Laura Wolvaardt stood firm with a brilliant 101, but South Africa’s batting lineup couldn’t match India’s spin attack. Deepti Sharma delivered the decisive blow, and India secured the win, triggering celebrations countrywide. The victory lap around the stadium was an emotional one, with former greats like Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj joining in the celebrations, shedding tears of joy as they witnessed India’s first women’s World Cup triumph.
