The Monday morning in Navi Mumbai brought a new morning for the Indian women's cricket team. Years of doubts, taunts, and abuse eventually turned into praise from all across the country as Harmanpreet Kaur's side beat South Africa in the final to clinch the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 title. Some of the team's former players like Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, and Anjum Chopra - who still had the heartbreaks of 2005 and 2017 finals within them - also cherished the moment, marking the start of a new era in women's cricket. Punam Raut, a former India batter, was quick to recall the kind of comments she and her teammates had to face after the defeat against England in the 2017 World Cup final.
"Tumne kya kar liya? Kabhi kuch jeeta hai? Tum ladkiyan kya kar sakti ho? Ladkiyan cricket khel sakti hain kya? (What have you ever achieved? Have you ever won anything? What can girls even do? Can girls really play cricket?)," Raut recalled the taunts she and others had to face 8 years ago, in a chat with the Times of India.
The 2025 victory, hence, isn't just for the likes of Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, etc., but also for all those who contributed to Indian women's cricket, even years before the team could be crowned world champions.
"I am very happy and emotional. I couldn't control my tears. Many, many congratulations to this team. We have proved it - the answer has been conveyed. When I started playing cricket, I experienced bullying. I was bullied by boys. I told them I knew how to play cricket, but they mocked me. They said girls can't play cricket. I didn't like what they said. I was young, I was angry, but I couldn't express it at that time. When they said that, it hit me badly," she said.
India captain Harmanpreet spoke her mind on social media, saying cricket isn't just a 'gentleman's game' but everyone's game. Raut couldn't agree more with the sentiment.
"How can they say that? That's what I always asked myself. After that, we decided - one day, the whole world will know that girls can also play cricket. And somewhere, Harmanpreet Kaur must have experienced the same. I remember we both debuted in the same World Cup, in 2009. We had the same journey, the same age. I am sure Harmanpreet must have gone through the same experiences. That's why she wrote, 'It's not only a gentleman's game. It's everyone's game.'"
"What Harmanpreet said - she was right. It was the goal of the team. Even in 2017, we played for that - for all those girls whose parents were restricting them. It is very important to change that mindset. And when a World Cup stage comes in front of you, that's the opportunity to do something. She is right, and she has brought a big change in Indian women's cricket."
"The last time we lost the trophy by 9 runs. That is a wound that hasn't healed yet. We should have scored those 9 runs. It was going on in my mind for a long time. But Harmanpreet has done it. That bad memory has finally faded away. That defeat haunted me and all of us for nine years," she said.