When the Indian women's cricket team met Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their World Cup triumph, the atmosphere was filled with pride and joy. During this meeting, the Prime Minister inquired of Captain Harmanpreet Kaur - why did you pocket that match ball...was there a reason? Or was it a spontaneous act?
Upon hearing the question, Harmanpreet smiled, and her response was heartfelt - 'No Sir... it was God's plan because it was never anticipated that the last ball, the final catch, would come to me, and it did... all those years of effort... this moment of waiting... now it belongs with me and stays in my bag.'
Nearly 42 years ago, Sunil Gavaskar pocketed the match ball after India's first World Cup victory in 1983, and now, in 2025, Harmanpreet unknowingly repeated that moment - this time at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.
In the final against South Africa, when Nadine de Klerk played a shot off Deepti Sharma's delivery towards cover, Harmanpreet sprinted and caught it, securing India's first-ever Women's ODI World Cup title. Amidst the celebration, she quietly pocketed the ball - a timeless memento of that historic night.
Harmanpreet's captaincy was exemplary in the final. She entrusted Shafali Verma with the ball, who typically bowls less in ODIs, and this strategy turned the match around. Shafali dismissed Suné Luus and Marizanne Kapp, bringing the game under India's control.
Deepti Sharma's five wickets and Shafali's 87 runs led India to a historic victory.
This emotional moment for Harmanpreet linked the journey of Indian cricket from Lord's 1983 to DY Patil 2025 - an odyssey that is now etched as a golden chapter in the chronicles of women's cricket.
