India beat South Africa in a thrilling final at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai to lift its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup trophy on Sunday. The celebrations that followed saw members of the team dedicate the triumph to legends of the past who walked so this side could run.

Four such veterans talk to Sportstar about the women’s team achievement, what it means to the vertical in India and more:

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Shantha Rangaswamy, India’s first women’s team captain, and administrator

This is not the time to reflect on the lack of facilities during our time. This is the time to enjoy and bask in the glory of the team’s success. This win is going to have a major impact on the game. Hypothetically speaking, if there are one lakh women cricketers in the country now, this World Cup win will ensure that number increases tenfold.

It will draw a lot of youth to cricket. The 1983 World Cup win put India on the world map of cricket. Likewise, this win will catapult India into becoming one of the leading women’s cricket countries in the world, and the base will get widened.

That is the biggest contribution of Harmanpreet Kaur and her team. We had to fight to keep the game afloat, and now the number of players will increase exponentially. That’s the biggest gain.

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Sudha Shah
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu Archives

Sudha Shah, Former India captain, coach and administrator

When Harmanpreet Kaur took that final catch, I could not control my emotions. This was something all of us had dreamed of, and when the girls finally did it, it felt as if they were living our dreams.

It should have happened much earlier because we had been improving steadily, and the facilities and support structures are much better now. But better late than never. The best part is that millions of Indians watched the game on television and cheered for the players — that in itself is a huge achievement.

We reached the ODI World Cup final in 2005 but lost to Australia, and then, in 2017, it was another heartbreak. As a former player, it is deeply satisfying to see that all our hard work and sacrifices have not gone in vain. Just as the 1983 World Cup win transformed men’s cricket, hopefully, this moment will mark a similar turning point for women’s cricket. But now the girls must work even harder and continue on the same path.

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Diana Edulji
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu Archives

Diana Edulji, Former India captain and administrator

It has been a long 50 years for us, and this victory has truly made my day. It has made my struggle over the last five decades, as a player, an administrator, and a mentor, worth it. All our hard work has borne fruit with this trophy. We missed it narrowly in 2017, and that was the real turning point. I wouldn’t call this a 1983 moment at all; I believe it was in 2017 that everyone started taking women’s cricket seriously. The key factor then was that the matches were telecast live, and that visibility drew attention.

When I was a Committee of Administrators (CoA) member, I took several steps to ensure that women cricketers, both past and present, received their due. It wasn’t easy, because the BCCI had never functioned with women’s cricket in mind; it was always about men’s cricket. The common refrain was that women’s cricket didn’t generate revenue. Even so, we introduced one-time benefits for players, ensured they travelled business class, and stayed in single rooms in five-star hotels. We treated them on par with the men.

Those were the steps we took, and I believe this World Cup win will have a profound impact on young cricketers.

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Neetu David
| Photo Credit:
V. Ganesan

Neetu David, Former India captain and erstwhile chairperson, national selection committee

For five decades, we waited for this moment. But Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar made sure that dream finally came true. Winning a World Cup at home is truly special. A lot of credit goes to the BCCI, and to Jay Shah bhai, who went out of his way to support women’s cricket and ensured the girls had everything they needed. VVS Laxman too deserves credit for the guidance and structure he built at the Centre of Excellence — it’s been a collective effort that helped us fulfil a long-cherished dream.

As a player, I’ve seen several so-near-yet-so-far moments. This time, I’m just happy to have played my part. The team took criticism on the chin, the seniors inspired the youngsters, and together they brought out the best in each other. This truly is a defining moment for women’s cricket in India.

Published on Nov 07, 2025