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It was a nighttime that volition beryllium remembered everlastingly — a defining infinitesimal not conscionable for Indian cricket, but for Indian women’s sport. (Getty Images)
NEW DELHI: History was scripted connected the midnight of Sunday (Nov 2) arsenic the Indian women’s cricket squad lifted its maiden ICC ODI World Cup title, defeating South Africa by 52 runs astatine the D.Y.
Patil Stadium successful Navi Mumbai. It was a nighttime that volition beryllium remembered everlastingly — a defining infinitesimal not conscionable for Indian cricket, but for Indian women’s sport. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur stood astatine the bosom of it all, and erstwhile ICC Chairman Jay Shah handed her the gleaming trophy, the stadium erupted. But it wasn’t conscionable the triumph — it was her Lionel Messi-like solemnisation that captured the imaginativeness of millions.
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Having taken the winning drawback to disregard Nadine de Klerk, Harmanpreet sealed India’s spot successful history.
Her squad had done what generations earlier could lone imagination of — becoming satellite champions for the archetypal time. With the win, India joined an elite database of nations — Australia, England, and New Zealand — arsenic the lone teams to person lifted the Women’s ODI World Cup.However, the post-match scenes became conscionable arsenic iconic arsenic the triumph itself. Once the trophy was presented to Harmanpreet, she danced her mode to the podium, wherever her jubilant teammates awaited her.
The walk, the poise, and the grin were reminiscent of Lionel Messi’s iconic solemnisation aft starring Argentina to the FIFA World Cup successful December 2022. While Messi’s infinitesimal came nether the lights of Lusail Stadium, Harmanpreet’s came nether the glow of fireworks successful Navi Mumbai.
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Unlike Messi’s agelong march with the trophy, Harmanpreet’s was abbreviated and elemental — yet filled with adjacent emotion. She walked with pridefulness earlier raising the trophy implicit her caput arsenic chants of “India! India!” echoed crossed the stands.Interestingly, fans besides drew parallels betwixt her solemnisation and that of Rohit Sharma, who had done a akin locomotion aft starring India to triumph successful the 2024 T20 World Cup. A video has since gone viral connected societal media, showing Rohit’s lookalike “training” Harmanpreet to locomotion with the aforesaid flair up of the World Cup. It appears Harmanpreet took that inspiration rather literally, winning her ain coveted rubric and celebrating successful trademark Indian skipper style.Her enactment passim the tourney was some intuitive and fearless — a prime that came to the fore successful the final. When Harmanpreet addressed the post-match presentation, she made definite to support her absorption connected the bigger picture.Watch the video here"This is the start. We wanted to interruption this barrier. And our adjacent program is to marque this a habit. We were waiting for it, present this infinitesimal has come. So galore large occasions are coming, and we privation to support improving.
This is not the end, conscionable the beginning," the skipper said, her dependable filled with pridefulness and purpose.Captaincy is often astir instinct — and Harmanpreet showed shades of Kapil Dev’s legendary gut feeling from June 25, 1983, erstwhile helium handed 1 much implicit to Madan Lal against a rampaging Vivian Richards. On this historical night, Harmanpreet’s ain instinct told her to manus the shot to Shafali Verma — a determination that proved decisive.
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"When Laura and Sune were batting, they were looking truly good. I conscionable saw Shafali lasting there, and the mode she was batting, I knew it was our day,” Harmanpreet recalled."I thought I person to spell with my gut feeling. My bosom was saying, I had to springiness her astatine slightest 1 over. And that was the turning constituent for us. In the end, they panicked a small and that is wherever we cashed (in). At the close time, Deepti came successful and took those wickets."Shafali, who had bowled conscionable 14 overs successful her full ODI vocation earlier this match, roseate to the juncture — claiming 2 important wickets."When she came to the team, we spoke to her that we mightiness request 2-3 overs, and she said if you springiness maine bowling, I volition vessel 10 overs. Credit goes to her, she was truthful affirmative and she was determination for the team. Salute her," Harmanpreet said, lauding the young star’s contribution.Behind the scenes, the relation of manager Amol Muzumdar and the enactment unit was arsenic significant.
Harmanpreet acknowledged their changeless information and planning."Amol sir was with the squad and helium was ever telling america to travel up with thing special, and to support preparing for the large occasion,” she said."We should springiness recognition to the enactment unit and the BCCI. We did not marque excessively galore changes (to our squad), and they truly invested successful us, and due to the fact that of everyone, we are lasting here."From gut calls to graceful celebrations, Harmanpreet’s enactment defined India’s aureate night. And arsenic fireworks lit up the Mumbai sky, it became wide — this was not conscionable a victory, it was the opening of a caller epoch for women’s cricket successful India.
