India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was left overwhelmed with emotion after India clinched their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title. Having endured heartbreak in their previous two ICC finals, the team finally broke the jinx, lifting the coveted trophy in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
“I don’t know how to react to being world champions! I’m unable to process it!” Smriti Mandhana said after the match.
“Every World Cup we’ve gone into, there have been so many heartbreaks for all of us. But we always believed that we had a bigger responsibility – not just to win, but to keep growing women’s cricket. And honestly, just look at the support we’ve had over the last month and a half. It’s been incredible. To finally lift the World Cup today – I’ll take those 45 sleepless nights any day for this moment. That last World Cup was definitely tough for all of us to take. But after that, we had a clear focus – to get fitter, stronger, and better in every area,” she added.
“And honestly, what’s special about this team – and no one really talks about it – is how much we stuck together. Everyone supported each other, through good days and bad. We genuinely celebrated each other’s success. The team environment this time… it was just so positive, so connected. That’s been the biggest difference, I think,” Mandhana concluded
‘Speechless. Absolutely proud,’ says India head coach
Amol Muzumdar, Head coach, said: “I’m speechless. Absolutely proud. They deserve every bit of this moment. The hard work, the belief – they’ve made every Indian proud. We never saw those as losses (talking about the losses in the group stage). We dominated most of those matches. We just needed to finish better – and once we did, there was no looking back.
“It’s a watershed moment (what does this mean to women’s cricket in India). The ripple effects will be felt for generations. Magical (talking about Shafali’s performance today). Semi-final, final – she turns up every time. Runs, wickets, catches – complete performance. Couldn’t be prouder.”
