India winning the Women’s ODI World Cup could not have happened in a more dramatic fashion. As the clock struck 12, signalling the break of a new day, captain Harmanpreet Kaur plucked the ball from the air to take a catch and put an end to years of misogynistic voices that said, “Ladkiyan cricket nahi khel sakti hain” (girls cannot play cricket).
The entire crowd of almost 40,000 people at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium (often known as the fortress of the Indian team) erupted into a deafening roar. It’s a moment I will eternally be grateful to have witnessed live. In that moment, a part of me healed. The part that had heard that very line over and over again growing up.
My heart swelled with pride for these “women in blue” who had overcome decades of being underpaid and under-resourced to reach this summit.
India's Victory Feels Personal
As a fanatic follower of women’s cricket, this victory feels almost personal. In the past month, I have had a serious case of World Cup fever, and at times even questioned; what does it really mean to be a 'fan'? To follow something so closely—and feel both the elation of victory and anguish of loss equally.
Little did I know that my question would be answered by Captain Kaur in the post-match presentation when she started addressing the crowd by thanking us for being there through the ups and downs.
In some sense, fans are like the witnesses of the story, not just of one glorious night but also of what it took to create it.
It takes a huge moment like this to bring new eyeballs on something.
For me, that moment happened when India beat England in the semi-final of the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Since then, women’s cricket has been the most watched thing on our TV at home.
When the first season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) happened, my partner and I flew to Mumbai from Delhi to watch the eliminator and the final. That was my first experience watching a game live, and since then, we have travelled to watch various league and international matches.
So, naturally, when the schedule for the World Cup came out, we sat down to plan which India games we could go for. We could only plan for the India vs England game at Indore, and then the final. We had our tickets booked to Navi Mumbai even before the World Cup had started.
Somewhere in my heart, I believed that India would be in the final—and I did not want to risk missing that moment. When India beat Australia in the semi-final, I broke into uncontrollable tears. The final was going to be so much bigger than just a game of cricket—it would be a threshold moment for girls and women all over the country, and I couldn’t wait to witness it.
Let's Not Stop at Cricket
Watching a game live in a stadium is an enlivening spiritual experience. You get to embody the energy of being part of something much bigger—and share that moment with so many others who hold the same belief as you.
Going to DY Patil for the final became even more special as our seven-year-old niece came along to watch her first game live. She curiously asked me about all the players and rules of cricket and cheered for players on both sides with equal enthusiasm.
In front of us another young girl had made a poster with the names of all the players and was waving it high. A few rows ahead two young boys passionately danced every time India hit a boundary. I became good friends with a bunch of fellow cricket fanatics sitting behind me, and with each ball we discussed statistics, formulated strategies, sighed, jumped, prayed, and cheered till our voices left us.
It's been three days since I left the stadium, but I still get goosebumps every time I remember the moment Vande Mataram played in the stadium.
It felt great to be a small part of this big historic moment for our country. The memory of 16 girls, each with their own heroic story, lifting the cup will be etched in my mind forever.
For someone who has been posting on social media as well as talking to anyone who would listen to about this team’s achievements consistently over the last few years, it's been cathartic to see the flooding of my instagram feed post the final. But let's not stop here please.
I hope that sharing this story inspires more women to come watch the games live and feel the empowered energy of women in sport. The support also must go beyond cricket.
Earlier this year, I attended an online course called Effecting Change - Transforming Women’s Sport in India, where I learnt so much about women in different sports across India. Learn more about what's happening at the grassroot levels and share every story that you come across. Encourage your daughters to take up a sport of their choice, and maybe even let your hair down and play yourself.
Let us all continue the revolution that has started.
(The author is an all-rounder in her family-owned business when she's not being a cricket nerd. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the author's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)