New Delhi [India], November 15 : Member of the World Cup-winning Indian Women's Cricket Team, Kranti Gaud, expressed her gratitude to the Madhya Pradesh government and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav during a felicitation event, acknowledging the support shown to her and her family after India's historic triumph.

"I want to thank the CM....When I met him after the World Cup victory, he gave me a lot of his time. He even gave a lot of time to my parents and my coach. He respected everyone... I thank the Madhya Pradesh government for rewarding me with a cash prize of Rs one crore," she said.

Reflecting on the remarkable rise of women's cricket in the country, the pacer said the women's cricket had a handful of audience till a few years ago, and now all the seats remain fully sold. "There has been a huge shift in the kind of support we have seen. Everyone just cheers for India..."

Gaud, who played a crucial role with the new ball throughout the tournament, claimed nine wickets in eight matches, consistently building pressure in the powerplay and setting the tone for India's dominant campaign.

India's dream of capturing the ICC Women's World Cup finally fructified after two heartbreaks in 2005 and 2017 finals. They defeated South Africa by 52 runs in a clinical performance at the finals earlier this month, which saw Shafali Sharma (87 and 2/36) and Deepti Sharma (58 and 5/39) delivering all-round performances.

India joined Australia, England and New Zealand as ICC Women's Cricket World Cup winners and did so for the first time on home soil.

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