Harmanpreet Kaur etched her name in the history books after leading India to their maiden Women's World Cup win on Sunday. The Women in Blue defeated South Africa in the final end their long running ICC trophy drought. India had lost 2 50-over World Cup finals before eventually succeeding at home.
The emotions of being a world champion seem to be settling in for India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Speaking on her journey to the trophy photoshoot, Kaur revealed that she was 'relieved' to have won the trophy. The 35-year-old added that after the heartbreak of the 2017 World Cup, the entire nation was waiting for women's cricket to deliver their special moment.
"After 2017, we were heartbroken that we came so close and lost by 9 runs. But when we returned, the kind of welcome and motivation we got from Indian fans that not only us, but the entire country was waiting for women's cricket will do something special," Harmanpreet said in the video posted by BCCI.
The Indian team was well supported at home, with a packed stadium in attendance. Harman thanked the fans for their blessings and said it wouldn't have been possible without them.
"Everybody was waiting for this moment, we had everyone's blessings and prayers and we could cross the finish line. I don't think we were playing alone in the stadium, the entire stadium, people watching on TV, everybody came together to win this. It wouldn't have been possible alone," she added.
The Women's World Cup win puts Harmanpreet Kaur in a league of India legends. The 35-year-old is only the 3rd India captain to win a World Cup title and 5th to lift an ICC trophy. Only MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev have lifted the World Cup for India, while no woman before Harmanpreet did so.