Puri: Padma awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik on Monday created a magnificent sculpture at the sea beach in Odisha’s Puri to congratulate the Indian women’s cricket team, which ended decades of near misses to win its maiden World Cup title with a commanding 52-run victory over South Africa just after midnight.
The sculpture with the message, “Congrats! Bharat ki Nari Shakti”, features a 6-foot-long sand bat crafted from five tonnes of sand and adorned with numerous cricket balls, symbolising the dedication and teamwork of the victorious players while celebrating the power and spirit of Indian women.
“The way India’s Women’s Cricket Team has created history by winning the Cricket World Cup has made the whole world witness the power of India’s Nari Shakti. Through their performance in the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, they have made the nation proud. As an artist, I salute and pay tribute to our team through my art. I have installed numerous cricket balls and created a bat and ball sculpture to congratulate our Indian team,” he told IANS.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier congratulated the Indian women’s cricket team on their historic victory in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 final against South Africa, calling it a moment of national pride and celebrating “Bharatiya Naarishakti” at its peak. “Congratulations Team India for winning the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. First ever World Cup win for Bharatiya Naarishakti and the whole nation cheers louder than ever. This night will be etched into history and we were lucky to witness history in making. Wishing this team a continued success,” the CM posted on X.
Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, also took to X, to congratulate the Women in Blue. “A golden chapter etched in the annals of Indian sport. Congratulate Indian Women’s Cricket Team on their historic win over South Africa to lift the maiden World Cup. This triumph is a testament to limitless potential of our daughters. The team has shown remarkable grit and skill throughout the tournament to leave a golden legacy for generations to come. May they continue to inspire every sports person of the country.”
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, with standout performances from Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma, the team completed a long, unfinished journey to glory after heartbreaks in the 2005 and 2017 finals.
Shafali, who was drafted into the squad from the semifinal stage after regular opener Pratika Rawal was ruled out with an injury, set the tone with an attacking 87. And then the part-time spinner came on to pick up two crucial wickets in consecutive overs. Allrounder Deepti, considered to be the team’s Miss Reliable, scored a crucial run-a-ball 58 and then bagged a five-wicket haul to make it especially memorable for her.
The winning catch nestled in Harmanpreet Kaur’s palms, sparking a joyful sprint with Smriti Mandhana and the chasing team close behind.