"Their Dreams Are Not Small": Amol Muzumdar On India's Women's World Cup Win At NDTV Indian Of The Year 2025

The Indian women's team, following their historic World Cup triumph last month, was felicitated at the NDTV Indian of the Year 2025 on Friday. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side defeated South Africa in the final at the DY Patel Stadium in Navi Mumbai to lift their maiden world title in November. In the presence of head coach Amol Muzumdar, the likes of Harmanpreet, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues received the 'Sports Performance of the Year' award on behalf of the entire squad. Reflecting on the team's journey during his two-year tenure, Muzumdar highlighted three pillars that transformed the side into world-beaters: discipline, the ability to dream big, and an unwavering resilience.

"I've learned three things from my tenure so far. First is discipline. We are an extremely disciplined bunch. I am really grateful for the opportunity that was presented to me two years ago to just be the head coach of the Indian team. Secondly, they dream big. Their dreams are not small. And the third one is the resilience that this team shows. The way they fought back after losing three games. If I can put all three things together, the match against Australia, we showcased all of these qualities," said Amol Muzumdar.

Jemimah, who played a match-winning knock in the high-pressure semi-final against Australia, praised Harmanpreet's leadership qualities, describing her as a "true leader" who motivates the players.

"She has never shouted at me for dropping a catch. It's the personality on the field that sets her different. She doesn't carry the onfield aggression off the field," Jemimah Rodrigues on captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

The Indian women's cricket team will be taking the field for the first time since their historic triumph later this week, with a five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka scheduled to start on Sunday.

India hold a dominant record against Sri Lanka with 20 wins in 26 matches. The visitors' last victory on Indian soil came back in 2014.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Women Jemimah Rodrigues Deepti Sharma Harmanpreet Kaur Amol Anil Muzumdar indianoftheyear2025stories Cricket