India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur posed with the ICC Women’s World Cup trophy at the Gateway of India on Monday, a day after leading her team to its first-ever World Cup triumph. The ICC shared the image on its official X handle with the caption, “The one with the captain and Trophy #CWC25.”
The moment drew comparisons to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s famous photograph at the same location after India’s 2011 World Cup victory. Dhoni had led from the front in that final, scoring an unbeaten 91, while Gautam Gambhir made 97 as India defeated Sri Lanka to lift the trophy after 28 years.
On Sunday, Harmanpreet and her team ended India’s long wait for a Women’s ODI World Cup title. Playing at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India defeated South Africa by 52 runs to lift the coveted trophy in front of a packed crowd.
The defining moment came in the final over when Harmanpreet herself took the last catch at the stroke of midnight. With South Africa needing 53 runs from the final five overs, she brought on Deepti Sharma to bowl. After two tight deliveries, Nadine de Klerk lofted the ball toward extra cover, and Harmanpreet ran back to complete the catch that sealed India’s win.
Deepti Sharma was the standout performer of the match, scoring 58 off 58 balls and taking five wickets for 39 runs in 9.3 overs. Her all-round brilliance guided India to a commanding win and earned her widespread praise.
With this victory, India became the fourth team to win the Women’s World Cup, joining Australia, England and New Zealand.
Following the historic win, Harmanpreet shared a heartfelt post on social media that quickly went viral. Lying in bed with the trophy beside her, she wrote, “Some dreams are shared by a billion people. That’s why cricket is everyone’s game. #CricketIsEveryonesGame.”
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