Indian sport, in its long journey, has often encountered heartbreaking near-misses – Milkha Singh finishing fourth at the 1960 Olympics, the Indian football team losing in the semi-finals of the 1956 Games, or Dipa Karmakar missing out on a gymnastics medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics by just 0.15 points. For the Indian women’s cricket team, it was the 2005 and 2017 World Cup finals, when defeats at the last hurdle ended a dream.

The Indian women’s cricket team now wears a new identity – that of world champions.

So, where does this triumph of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side stand in India’s sporting spectrum? Sachin Tendulkar’s words perhaps sum it up best:

“1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams. Today, our Women’s Cricket Team has done something truly special. They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field, and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day.

This is a defining moment in the journey of Indian women’s cricket. Well done, Team India. You’ve made the whole nation proud.”

The 1983 World Cup triumph ushered in an era of renewed interest in cricket. Struggles and heartbreaks still followed, but that was the start of a journey which has since seen India grow into a giant – on and off the field.

The Indian women’s cricket team is in a far stronger position than the 1983 men’s side. The facilities they enjoy and the financial support they receive are among the best in the world. What this moment will do is inspire the girls to reach even greater heights.

Harmanpreet lifted the trophy that had eluded Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, India’s torchbearers for over two decades.

For the younger generation – led by Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh – it marked the dawn of a new era, one where Indian women’s cricket finally stood shoulder to shoulder with the sport’s powerhouses.

As fireworks lit up the Navi Mumbai sky, the emotion on Harmanpreet’s face said it all. The wait was over. From heartbreak to history, India’s women had finally rewritten their story – and this time, they wrote it in gold.

If June 25, 1983, was a watershed moment for Indian men’s cricket, when Kapil’s Devils beat the mighty West Indies at Lord’s, then November 2, 2025, will be remembered as the seminal moment for the women’s game.

Rohit Sharma, who still carries the scars of November 19, 2023, watched the final from the stands with a prayer on his lips that Harmanpreet Kaur would not meet his fate.

For Harmanpreet – the woman who has done more for Indian women’s cricket than anyone can imagine – the pain of losing a final, as it happened eight summers ago, was all too familiar.

As she latched on to Nadine de Klerk’s offering while backpedaling at extra cover, Ian Bishop fittingly called the moment “inspiring generations.”

With PTI inputs