In a heart-melting gesture that captured the spirit of Indian cricket, the newly crowned Women’s ODI World Champions invited former greats Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra to the field and shared the trophy with them — acknowledging their decades of service and sacrifice for the women’s game in India.
The scene unfolded moments after Harmanpreet Kaur lifted the World Cup trophy at the DY Patil Stadium. Members of the current squad walked over to the broadcasting area, where the legends were present for commentary and post-match coverage, and urged them to join in the on-field celebrations.
It was a symbolic and emotional moment — a tribute to the pioneers who laid the foundation for this historic night, but who narrowly missed out on lifting an ODI World Cup during their playing careers. The likes of Mithali and Jhulan came agonisingly close in 2005 and 2017 but never got to experience this pinnacle.
Tonight, the Indian team made sure they did.
The veterans held the trophy with the players, smiled, shed tears and soaked in the cheers from a packed Navi Mumbai crowd — fulfilling a dream they once chased for India. The gesture resonated across social media, with fans praising the team for honoring those who paved the way.
This World Cup win belongs to Harmanpreet Kaur’s warriors — but also to every player who carried the torch before them. It was not just a victory celebration, but a passing of legacy — from the generation that built Indian women’s cricket brick by brick, to the one that finally conquered the world.
Truly a night Indian cricket will never forget — where history was written, dreams were shared, and legends stood united.
