Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar erupt with pride as India women script their own ‘1983 moment’ with World Cup win
With this triumph, India became only the fourth team in history to win the Women's ODI World Cup trophy
India legends Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar erupted with pride as the women’s cricket team lifted their maiden ODI World Cup title in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. India defeated South Africa by 52 runs, powered by Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance. With this triumph, India became only the fourth team in history to win the trophy, joining Australia (7), England (4) and New Zealand (1) in the pantheon of champions.
It marked a long-awaited moment in the history of Indian women’s cricket. On three occasions, they had come agonisingly close - in 2005 at Centurion, at Lord’s in 2017, and in the 2020 T20 World Cup final in Melbourne. But under the blazing lights of DY Patil Stadium and in front of a roaring home crowd, Harmanpreet Kaur’s team finally buried the ghosts of heartbreak to script history.
ALSO READ: Harmanpreet Kaur breaks down in Smriti Mandhana's arms after India women end decades-long wait for World Cup glory
Kohli, a two-time World Cup winner himself, was among the first to congratulate the Indian women's team on their historic win. Taking to Instagram, he wrote that he couldn’t be prouder of the team, and added that this moment will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport.
“The girls have created history and I couldn’t be more proud as an Indian to see the hard work of so many years come to life finally. They deserve all the applause and a big congratulations to Harman and the whole team for achieving this historic feat. Also congratulations to the whole squad and the management for the work behind the scenes. Well done india. Enjoy the moment to the fullest. This will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport in our country. Jai hind,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“The girls have created history and I couldn’t be more proud as an Indian to see the hard work of so many years come to life finally. They deserve all the applause and a big congratulations to Harman and the whole team for achieving this historic feat. Also congratulations to the whole squad and the management for the work behind the scenes. Well done india. Enjoy the moment to the fullest. This will inspire generations of girls to take up the sport in our country. Jai hind,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Sachin, who won the men's ODI World Cup in 2011 in what was his sixth appearance in the tournament's history, said the win echoed the spirit of 1983, calling it a defining moment that will inspire countless young girls to dream big and believe they can lift the trophy one day.
His post read: “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”
Here are some other tweets…
How India won the World Cup
Despite hosting the tournament, India weren’t among the favourites to reach the final — let alone lift the trophy. That belief seemed justified when a mid-tournament slump, marked by three consecutive defeats, pushed them to the brink of elimination. But great campaigns are often defined by comebacks, and this team’s resilience became its defining trait. They not only beat reigning T20 World Champions New Zealand to clinch the last semifinal spot but also stunned seven-time champions Australia to reach their third World Cup final.
On Sunday, put to bat first, Shafali scored 87 off 78 and stitched a 104-run stand, while Deepti notched up a well-composed fifty as India amassed 298 for seven - the second-highest total by a team in World Cup history. In reply, the two batters picked seven wickets between themselves, with the latter getting a fifer as South Africa were folded for 246 runs in 45.3 overs.
