Smriti Mandhana: Unreal moment as India clinches maiden Women’s World Cup in Navi Mumbai
Smriti Mandhana: Unreal moment as India clinches maiden Women’s World Cup in Navi Mumbai
India’s Smriti Mandhana calls the World Cup win unreal as the team clinches their first Women’s World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa in Navi Mumbai.
India opener Smriti Mandhana said she was still processing the magnitude of the historic triumph, calling it unreal after India claimed their maiden Women’s World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. “I don’t know how to react to that, it’s still sinking in,” Mandhana said moments after the victory. “I haven’t been emotional on the cricket field. But yeah, just a very unreal moment, home World Cup and just to read that we are Champions, I just can’t, I’m still not able to process it.”
She also reflected on the heartbreaks of previous editions, explaining how the team turned those disappointments into motivation. “Every World Cup we go in and there have been so many heartbreaks for all of us,” she said. “But we always believe that we have a bigger responsibility with women’s cricket and genuinely just to see the support we’ve got over the last one and a half month and to see people come in, support us.”
Mandhana spoke of the unique team chemistry that made the win possible, highlighting fitness, skill development, and unity. “The last 40 days, I mean to end it with a World Cup win today, I will take that, 45 days of not sleeping every night,” she added, pointing to the gruelling build-up. “The super strength of this team is no one will talk about it but it’s the way everyone just stuck in and just played for each other. In a World Cup like this, you just need everyone’s support. Everyone was there for each other, good days, bad days. We enjoyed each other’s success.”
In addition to the triumph, Mandhana’s individual performance drew praise. She became India’s highest run-getter in a single ODI World Cup edition, surpassing Mithali Raj’s 2017 record. She also neared the 1,000-run mark in World Cup cricket, a feat achieved by only a couple of Indian batters. This milestone underscored her role as a keystone of India’s batting lineup and a symbol of the team’s rising standard in global women’s cricket.
The victory marks a watershed moment for Indian cricket, delivering a long-awaited global title and showcasing the strength of the women’s game in the country. With the World Cup win, fans celebrated a new era where the team’s resilience and unity translated into triumph on the world stage.
Cover image source: Indian women create history, win ODI World Cup after beating South Africa by 52 runs 🔗
