The Night India Changed Its Fate: From Quiet Dreams to World Champions

X: @anjanasasi

Navi Mumbai: The stars in the sky above DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai shone brighter than the fireworks. The dark clouds that had been there before the game slowly parted, as if nature was making room for the new stars that were rising on the ground below. The floodlights lit up the field in a golden haze, making it look like a thousand tiny suns in the monsoon sky.

The stands were full of blue, faces painted, and hearts racing. The roar that came after the last South African wicket fell wasn’t just a celebration. It was the sound of generations breathing out at the same time. It came from every small town, every backyard, and every field that had been forgotten where a girl had once dreamed with a bat in her hand.

Harmanpreet Kaur, who was calm but shaking, looked up at the sky before picking up the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 trophy, India’s first. Smriti Mandhana put the tricolour around her shoulders. Richa Ghosh, Shefali Verma  and Deepti Sharma fell to the ground, laughing and crying at the same time. Jemmimah ran across the outfield towards Aman Jyot with her arms outstretched and her eyes wide open in disbelief. 

Also Read: India and South Africa: The World Awaits a New Champion

Just a few minutes before, India had won a historic 52 run victory over South Africa, making up for their loss in the group stage and finishing a journey that had taken more than fifty years to write. As the players began their victory lap, they waved to the stands full of Indian fans in blue and chanted the names of their heroes as if to bless a new dawn.

The skyline of Navi Mumbai lit up, and fireworks danced off of happy faces. It wasn’t just another win. It was the end of 50 years of hard work, overcoming bias, and finally making dreams come true. That night, Mandhana’s grace, Harmanpreet’s determination, Deepti’s calm, Sri Charini’s spark, and Shafali Verma’s fearless fire came together to create not only a sporting miracle but also a revolution. It was a time when Indian women stood taller than ever before, claiming both the game and the glory.

Five Decades of Indian Women’s Cricket: The Long Road

It didn’t happen in just one game. Women built it over the course of fifty years, brick by brick, dream by dream, before the lights, cameras, and applause came.

The Trailblazers (in the 1970s and 1980s)

Indian women’s cricket has its roots in the 1970s, when a few brave women borrowed equipment and played a game that society thought wasn’t for them.

* Shantha Rangaswamy was India’s first Test captain. In 1976, she led the team to a historic win over the West Indies and became the first woman to win the Arjuna Award. 

*  Diana Edulji was a fiery and outspoken woman who became a legend on the field and a fighter for equality off of it. 

* Sandhya Agarwal, the best batsman of the 1980s, held the record for the highest individual Test score (190). This showed that Indian women could beat the best in the world.

They played because they loved it, not for money. For pride, not a reward. They took the train, sewed their own jerseys, and were made fun of for dreaming, but their spirit is what made India what it is today.

The Years of Change (1990s–2000s)

The 1990s brought attention, professionalism, and the first signs of belief. Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra built a new India that is calm, thoughtful, and sure of itself.

* Mithali Raj became the face of Indian batting and one of the most respected cricketers in the world because of her classical style and calm demeanour. 

* Jhulan Goswami, the “Chakda Express,” changed the way fast bowling is done by breaking speed records and gender stereotypes with every delivery. 

* Anjum Chopra was a strategist and a leader who connected different times and gave the women’s game a professional name.

India made it to its first ever ODI World Cup final in 2005. They lost to Australia, but they gained something priceless, faith. That loss was the reason for the 2025 win.

The Modern Architects from 2010 to 2025

A new generation came along in the 2010’s that didn’t just want to compete, they wanted to win.

This was the new India: brave, fiery, and free.

• Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171 not out against Australia in the 2017 World Cup is still one of the best ODI innings ever played. It was a loud statement that Indian women could rule the biggest stages.
• Smriti Mandhana became India’s most stylish and reliable batter because of her graceful stroke play and consistent brilliance.
• Deepti Sharma, calm and collected, became the team’s all-around player, the one who could spin and bat well.
• The youngest of them all, Shafali Verma, came to the crease with confidence, showing that a new generation isn’t afraid of failing.
• Kranti Gaur, a right-arm pacer from Maharashtra, made her swing sharper and more aggressive, which helped India get breakthroughs in important middle overs.
• Sri Charini, the left-arm spinner, bowled with quiet precision, often tightening the screws when runs flowed freely.
• Amanjot Kaur, the middle order workhorse who never stopped working, kept the innings steady when they were about to fall apart and added important overs. She was the heartbeat of balance.
• Richa Ghosh, the young wicketkeeper batter, had a modern style, she was bold, creative, and unafraid of pressure. Her glove work and hitting in the death overs made her an important player.
• Renuka Thakur Singh, the fast bowler with nerves of steel, hit early blows in the powerplays, setting the tone for India’s bowling dominance throughout the tournament.

Coach Amol Muzumdar was the brains behind this amazing team. He was both a strategist and a mentor who combined discipline with compassion. He was quiet but sharp, which gave people clarity, belief, and structure. India learned how to play not only with passion, but also with intelligence, thanks to him. This group turned potential into poetry and failures into strength.

The Final in Navi Mumbai: A Night of Redemption

India’s innings that night at DY Patil Stadium was a masterclass in bravery.

Shafali Verma set the tone for victory by starting with Smriti Mandhana. She hit 87 runs off 78 balls, including fearless drives and sixes that pierced the night air. This was a statement: the girl who had been teased for “hitting too hard” had now hit her way into history. Their 104-run partnership put India in charge at 298/7.

South Africa fought hard, but Deepti Sharma’s spin,Shefali’s early breakthroughs, Amnajit’s golden catch and Harmanpreet’s smart captaincy made sure they couldn’t win. 

And then came the moment that will live forever in Indian cricket.

Deepti Sharma ran in to throw the last ball of the tournament, which was a low full toss outside off. Nadine de Klerk stepped back and tried to hit it through extra cover, but she hit it too high into the night sky. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain who had led India for ten years, ran back and caught the ball over her shoulder.

There was silence for a heartbeat. Then there was an explosion. When India won the World Cup, the stadium went wild. Deepti fell to her knees, Harmanpreet threw the ball high into the air, and her teammates ran onto the field, their laughter and disbelief mixing into a roar that shook the stadium.

It was poetic justice that the captain caught the last ball and the team’s most trusted bowler hit the last one. The South Africans fought bravely, with their captain leading the way, but fate wore blue that night. As the fireworks went off, the women of India hugged each other in a happy and tired huddle.

The wait was over. The dream came true. They owned the world.

Harmanpreet’s eyes filled with tears as fireworks went off over Navi Mumbai. Amanjyot fell into Mandhana’s arms, and her laughter turned into tears. The players walked around the field with flags, listening to 45,300 people chant one name, India….India..

A Win That Goes Beyond the Line

This was more than just a win in cricket, it was an awakening. For a long time, people told women that cricket wasn’t their sport. That myth died the night India won the cup. Every hit, every wicket, and every cheer at DY Patil changed what it means to be a woman in sports in India.

A New Beginning in Culture

Not only did this team play, they also inspired. Young girls all over the country now see cricket as a way to achieve their goals, not as a dream too big to come true. Schools, academies, and families are welcoming people in and opening their minds.

The Business of Faith

You can already see the effects of this win. Sponsorships, deals to show games on TV, and investments are coming in. The Women’s Premier League is now a global brand, and Indian players are role models for a new era of sports that is fair to both men and women.

A Sign of Growth in the Country

Just like 1983 changed men’s cricket, 2025 will be remembered as the year India’s women changed what was possible.

The Way Forward

The next step is to keep being successful. We need to build more grassroots programs, better roads in rural areas, and more mentors for young players. But this group has already changed the story.

Harmanpreet’s leadership, Mandhana’s consistency, Shafali’s bravery, and Deepti’s quiet strength have made India’s women not only champions, but also the leaders of a movement.

From Dust to Glory

The story of Indian women’s cricket has been one of strength, grace, and growth, from the dusty fields of Shantha Rangaswamy in 1976 to the shining trophy lift of Harmanpreet Kaur in 2025.

This World Cup isn’t just a trophy, it’s a sign of how far Indian women have come. It belongs to every girl who was told she couldn’t do it. To every parent who had the guts to believe. To every coach who didn’t give up.

That night in Navi Mumbai, as fireworks lit up the sky and the tricolor shone in the floodlights, India didn’t just win a championship, it got back a story.

This time, women wrote it.