For Harmanpreet Kaur, the woman who has done more for Indian women’s cricket than anyone could imagine, the victory was deeply emotional. (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had a calm night, keeping the coveted ICC World Cup trophy beside her and her hands on it. The Indian women’s cricket team kept its date with history by winning its first-ever World Cup, defeating South Africa by 52 runs to script a golden chapter in the country’s pantheon of sporting achievements on Sunday.More than the win itself, Harmanpreet also sent a powerful message through the words printed on the back of her T-shirt.“Some dreams are shared by a billion people. That’s why cricket is everyone’s game,” Harmanpreet wrote in her caption while sharing a picture of herself wearing the T-shirt and sleeping with the trophy.“Cricket is a gentleman’s EVERYONE’S game,” the text on the T-shirt read — with ‘gentleman’s’ struck out.

If June 25, 1983, was a watershed moment for Indian men’s cricket—when Kapil’s Devils beat the mighty West Indies at Lord’s—then November 2, 2025, will be remembered as a seminal moment for women’s cricket in India.Rohit Sharma, who still carries the scars of November 19, 2023, was watching the final from the stands, silently praying that Harmanpreet Kaur wouldn’t meet the same fate.For Harmanpreet, the woman who has done more for Indian women’s cricket than anyone could imagine, the victory was deeply emotional. She knows how much it hurts to lose a final—something she experienced eight summers ago—and her girls didn’t let her down this time.As she latched on to Nadine de Klerk’s offering while backpedaling at extra cover, Ian Bishop fittingly described the moment as “inspiring generations.” It couldn’t have been more poetic, with A.R. Rahman’s rendition of “Vande Mataram” reverberating across the stands.