Indian women's cricket team captain
Harmanpreet Kaur led her team to their first-ever World Cup victory, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final match held in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. The 36-year-old skipper, who began her cricket journey with her father's oversized bat as a child, achieved her lifelong dream of bringing home a World Cup trophy.
Harmanpreet reflected on her early cricket days, sharing memories of playing with a modified bat from her father's kit. She recalled watching cricket matches on television without even knowing about women's cricket at the time.
"Ever since, as a kid, I started getting a sense of what likes and dislikes are, I've always seen a bat in my hand. I still remember we used to play with a bat from my dad's kit bag. The bat was very big. One day, my dad cut an old bat of his for me. We used to play with it. Whenever we used to watch a match on TV, or watch India play, or watch the World Cup, I used to think, I need an opportunity like this. At that time, I didn't even know about women's cricket," Harmanpreet said in a video released by the BCCI.
Click here to watch:
Harmanpreet Kaur’s emotional message after historic winThe victory came after years of dedication and perseverance, including overcoming previous disappointments in international competitions.
"I was dreaming, when will I wear this blue jersey? So I think this means a lot to me, a young girl who didn't know about women's cricket, but still dreaming, that one day, I want to bring that change in our country. And I think, it all shows that you should never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you. You never think, when will it happen, how will it happen. You only think, this will happen," she expressed.
The captain emphasized the emotional significance of the achievement, describing it as a childhood dream realized.
"Personally, it's a very emotional moment. Because, it was my dream since childhood. Ever since I started playing, it was my dream to win the World Cup one day. If I get an opportunity to lead my team, I don't want to miss this opportunity. So, I said all these things from the bottom of my heart. And God heard everything one by one. It's like magic. I don't understand how come suddenly everything is falling in place. Everything kept happening one by one. Finally, we are world champions. I am feeling very relaxed, very humble, so grateful to God, for giving this team, which we have been dreaming of for so many years, and we are living this moment."
Harmanpreet also recalled the heartbreaking loss in the 2017 World Cup final against England in London, where India fell short by just 9 runs.
"After the 2017 World Cup, when we came back, we were so heartbroken. We lost the game by 9 runs. We didn't understand how that happened because that game was also fully in control," she said, referring to the match where India was all out for 219 while chasing 229.
The current team, which includes veterans from the 2017 squad like Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, received tremendous support from fans across the country.
"Everybody was waiting for this moment. And I think it's because of everyone's blessings and prayers that we were able to cross that line. I don't think we were alone playing in the stadium. Everybody, the entire stadium, people who were watching us on TV, everybody came together to win this. Because it wasn't possible alone."
Her message to aspiring cricketers remained simple yet powerful: "Never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you."
Catch Lovlina Borgohain's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 5. Watch Here