Harmanpreet Kaur: This Is Just The Beginning

NAVI MUMBAI -India captain Harmanpreet Kaur shared her raw emotions after leading her team to a maiden victory at the ICC Women’s World Cup on November 2 night here at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy. She gave credit to every single member of the Indian contingent who made the historic achievement possible.

Kaur mentioned that the players remained positive and focused and gave their all to lift the trophy, even after a tough start. India began their campaign with consecutive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before enduring a series of three losses against South Africa, Australia, and England. The Women in Blue ultimately made their way into the semifinal after defeating New Zealand in a crucial encounter and then went on to beat 2022 champions Australia in the knockouts to make it to their third ODI World Cup final.

Speaking to Mel Jones during the presentation ceremony after the game, Kaur first thanked the crowd for their support. “I’m just so grateful for this crowd. They have been amazing. Thank you, everyone, for supporting us through all the ups and downs. And a special thanks to my dad – I almost forgot him – our selectors, and everyone back home. Thank you so much,” she said.

The skipper lauded her players’ belief, even after their mid-tournament slump. “Even after those three losses, we always had that belief. We spoke about it after the last game – we knew this team had something special to turn things around. Credit to every single member. They stayed positive, focused, and gave everything day and night. This team truly deserves to be here.”

Kaur specifically praised Shafali Verma for stepping up with the ball at a critical stage. Shafali had already notched up a brilliant 87 while opening the lineup in the first innings, and then picked two key wickets of Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp in the second innings to get her side important breakthroughs. “I saw Shefali standing there, and the way she batted earlier – I just knew it was her day. My heart said, ‘Give her one over.’ I went with my gut. I asked her if she was ready, and she said yes immediately. That over changed everything for us,” Kaur revealed.

She highlighted Verma’s fearless attitude, recalling how the 21-year-old was always ready to contribute. “When she first joined the team, we told her she might need to bowl two or three overs. She said, ‘If you give me the ball, I’ll bowl ten for the team!’ That’s how confident she is. She’s fearless, positive, and always ready to step up for the team,” Kaur added.

The Indian skipper acknowledged that while the 299-run target was a fighting total, the team’s victory came when the South African batters faltered under pressure. “We knew 290 was a fighting total in the final. Finals always come with pressure. Credit to South Africa, they played beautifully. But in the end, when they panicked a bit, we seized the moment, took those crucial wickets, and turned the game our way,” she said.

Speaking of the significance of winning a maiden World Cup title, Kaur stated, “Very special. Every World Cup, we would talk as a team about what we needed to do to cross that final line. The last two years under Amol sir (support staff), we’ve worked so hard.” She thanked the support staff and the BCCI for their trust.

Kaur concluded with a forward-looking statement: “This is just the beginning. We wanted to break this barrier, and now we’ve done it. Our next goal is to make this consistent – to make it happen again and again. We’ve got the Champions Cup and another World Cup next year. Big moments are coming, and we just want to keep improving day by day. This is not the end – it’s the start of a new chapter.” (IANS)