What Harmanpreet Kaur did after winning the World Cup has everyone talking – Here’s why
In a night of high drama and history-making for Indian cricket, the India women’s national cricket team finally broke their long wait for a world title. In front of a roaring full house crowd at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, captain Harmanpreet Kaur delivered not only a superb performance on the field, but a small gesture that brought the past and present together in vivid colour.
The 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup final against South Africa was a huge game. Every single moment really mattered. India, wanting to win the trophy for many years, looked calm and sure as they made a good score. Key contributions from bat, ball and field put them in a position of control. Then, when South Africa threatened with a fiery middle-phase push, India’s bowlers dug deep, and the catch that sealed the win came in the hands of Harmanpreet at a pivotal moment.
As the final wicket tumbled, the stadium erupted. But it was what happened next that captured hearts. Harmanpreet held aloft the match ball – not in triumphant display, but quietly, deliberately – then slipped it into her pocket. It echoed the iconic moment when Sunil Gavaskar did the same after India’s 1983 World Cup victory at Lord’s, linking a generation of Indian cricketing dreams with this new achievement. “Did you see what Harmanpreet did when she took that catch? She put the ball in her pocket, just like somebody did in ’83,” Gavaskar reflected hours later.
That gesture – small, personal, profound – symbolised the weight of legacy and the new chapter now unfolding. For years, the Indian women’s side chased milestones. Tonight they claimed one, and in doing so they handed the cricketing nation a moment of pure joy.
Harmanpreet’s leadership throughout the tournament had already been noteworthy: bold captaincy, smart use of resources, and a calm head under pressure. In the final, she backed a young bowler with less experience, trusting belief over stats – a call that proved decisive as the game shifted in India’s favour. The batters had set up the foundation, and the bowlers executed when needed; but the captain’s poise turned a good side into a champion side.
After the match she said, “This is the start. We wanted to break that barrier. And now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning.” The smile on her face, the ball in her pocket – both spoke of ambition, achievement and the promise of more.
Tonight, the India women’s team made history. They gave themselves – and a nation – a story to remember. And in that pocketed ball you’ll find more than leather and seams: you’ll find hope, grit and a new era dawned.
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