From Ghuwara to Glory: Kranti Goud's Journey From Dusty Lanes To World Cup Fame
Kranti Goud played a significant role as India clinched the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 title.
In the heart of Bundelkhand, a tiny town called Ghuwara burst into life on Sunday evening. Drums rolled, fireworks lit up the sky, and villagers danced barefoot in celebration. The reason India's historic triumph in women's ODI cricket. For the first time ever, Team India lifted the World Cup, defeating South Africa by 52 runs at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium. But for Ghuwara, this victory meant much more. Their own daughter, Kranti Goud, was part of the champion side and her spell of tight bowling, conceding just 16 runs in three overs, helped seal India's first world cup.
All through the day, the people of Ghuwara had gathered around a large LED screen in the village square. Inside a small two-room house at the edge of the village, Kranti's family could barely contain their joy. Her elderly mother sat quietly, tears of pride welling up in her eyes, while her siblings spoke proudly to visitors and the media.
Kranti Goud's story is one written in perseverance. The youngest of seven siblings, she was born into poverty. Her father once worked in the police department but lost his job years ago. The family slipped into hardship. Her brothers worked as daily wage laborers and as a bus conductor. Yet amid all the odds, Kranti found her refuge in a bat and ball.
Her sister Roshni Singh Goud remembers it vividly, “Kranti used to play in front of the house. She loved cricket and watched it with her brothers. She studied till ninth grade. She couldn't study because of the matches. She was the man of the match at the first tournament. She met a coach there. She used to go to tournaments and had problems, but she managed to get a bat, etc. But our brothers, many acquaintances, and the coach helped a lot. Our parents told her to study, but she loved playing. They didn't put much pressure on her to study. Initially, she used to play matches. The villagers used to say she was playing with the boys. Then, when she started playing tournaments, there was no stopping her. With a smile she said, Initially, she used to bat and hit a lot. My elder brother works as a laborer and another one as a conductor, so it was okay. Initially, it was my brother who helped her, but then the coach also helped a lot.”
Roshni's words capture both the ridicule and the resilience that marked Kranti's early years a time when most girls were discouraged from stepping onto the playground, let alone a cricket pitch.
It was in one of those casual tennis-ball matches that fate intervened. A team short of a player asked Kranti to join. She agreed, played brilliantly with both bat and ball, and was named Player of the Match. Among the spectators that day was Rajiv Bilthre, coach and secretary of the Chhatarpur District Cricket Association. He saw raw speed and natural athleticism in her and decided to train her. Bilthre began working on her fitness and technique, transforming her into a leather-ball cricketer.
Under his guidance, Kranti joined the Chhatarpur Academy and soon represented Madhya Pradesh's senior women's team. Her sharp bowling and lower-order hitting helped MP lift its first-ever domestic one-day title in 2024.
Her brother Lokpal Goud, who worked long shifts as a laborer and bus conductor, became her first sponsor and lifelong supporter. With a quiet smile and moist eyes, he says, “The whole family is very happy after winning the World Cup. They are very happy that the first World Cup has come and our sister Kranti is a part of it. She played Ranji and performed brilliantly for MP. Our family never stopped her, saying, ‘If she wants to play, let her play.' They had faith in her, and today she played in the World Cup. In 2017, she played with the boys here. She performed well, so she joined the Chhatarpur Academy. After that, she continued to progress. She was selected for MP, played in the WPL, and then played for India.”
Lokpal's voice trembles with pride not just for the victory, but for a dream that began in dusty streets and has now taken flight over the world stage.
Kranti's rise since then has been meteoric. After her domestic success, she was picked by UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 auction for ₹10 lakh. There, her consistent pace and control earned her a spot in India's ODI squad.
On the tour of England, she made headlines with 6 wickets for 52 runs in Chester-le-Street, a performance that announced her arrival in world cricket. Now, with the World Cup medal around her neck, Kranti Goud stands as a symbol of India's changing sporting landscape one where rural girls can dream, and dreams can come true.
India Women