The Class of 2025, template for future

The women’s World Cup 2025 victory is Indian cricket's sliding doors moment — for those who run the game in India and their approach to women’s cricket

- Sharda Ugra

When Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of India’s women’s cricket team, ended South Africa’s innings at the Women’s World Cup final — jump timed perfectly, ball stopped mid-flight as it zipped past her shoulder — she set off, tearing across the outfield with her arms spread wide.

All by herself, a girl in blue against an expanse of green. All by herself yet sweeping the world up in her joyous, triumphal run. All by herself, but the one for all.

It was a stirring performance by the Indian side in Navi Mumbai on Sunday night. The players detached themselves from the emotional upheaval after their high-octane, semifinal against Australia and did what needed to be done.

Think of Amanjot Kaur’s nervy catch off Laura Wolvaardt as India’s 2025 World Cup campaign in a capsule. From a good position came slip through the fingers, then a juggle and finally, a one-handed grab that had them flat on their back in total release.

The Indian women's team’s victory at the 2025 World Cup is only the second time in a quarter of the century that India has won the 50-over event, the sport's holy grail for teams of both genders. This is only the third time in 26 combined editions of the men’s and women’s 50-over World Cups that India has had its name on the trophy. Before Sunday night, only one other Indian women’s sporting team had won a world cup or championship — kabaddi, in 2012. In field hockey, the men’s team won the 1975 World Cup.