On November 2, history was created for India when Harmanpreet Kaur’s team won the nation’s first Women’s World Cup title, winning by 52 runs against South Africa in a nail biting final at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. This was historic for Indian cricket as celebrations erupted in the stands, when Harmanpreet caught Nadine de Klerk off the bowling of Deepti Sharma.
While celebrating, the Indian team paid tribute to two legends of women’s cricket, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. They were in the commentary box, having served the women’s game for so many decades. Harmanpreet and her teammates celebrated by giving the trophy to Mithali and Jhulan, with Anjum Chopra of course. Mithali and Jhulan both led India to two previous World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017 but had not won the trophy.
In discussing her emotional gesture, Harmanpreet Kaur said the tribute was something the whole team had decided before the final. “The last time when we came home after the World Cup in 2022, we were very sad. We knew the World Cup was the last for Jhulan di and Mithali di. Smriti and I were sitting and discussing and we were sad because we didn’t get the trophy for them.”
Harmanpreet said the current generation of players owes any success to the groundwork laid by the previous generation of players. “This time when we finally lifted the trophy it was fitting to share it with them. They led the way for women’s cricket in India and this trophy belongs to them as well as it belongs to us.”
“The last time, back in 2022, when we returned after the World Cup, all of us were really sad. We knew that it was the last World Cup for Jhulan di and Mithali di. Smriti and I were sitting and talking, we were sad that we couldn’t deliver it for them,” she said on the ICC Review.
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