New Delhi: The morning glittered with pride and laughter at the Prime Minister’s residence on Wednesday as India’s newly crowned world champions in women’s cricket met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting was equal parts emotional reunion, victory celebration and national inspiration — a reflection of how far Indian women’s cricket has come since its heartbreak in 2017.
The team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, arrived at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg carrying not just the gleaming ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 trophy but also a wave of joy that has swept across the nation. Modi, who had met the side eight years ago after their narrow miss in the 2017 final, reminded them how that moment of loss had now turned into triumph. “You came then without a trophy; now you’ve returned with it. That’s the mark of champions,” he said, drawing applause from the players.
The Prime Minister praised the team’s resilience, recalling how India had stumbled at the start of the tournament with three losses before mounting a stirring comeback to claim their first-ever world crown. “Your journey tells every Indian girl that defeat is just a pause, not the end,” he said.
Harmanpreet Kaur, her eyes shining with emotion, thanked Modi for his encouragement through the years. “When we met him last time, we promised to bring the trophy home. Today, we finally did it,” she said. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana added that the Prime Minister’s words after earlier defeats had been a source of motivation. “He reminded us that belief doesn’t fade with setbacks — and we carried that belief right through the final,” she said.
The interaction wasn’t without its light moments. In one viral exchange, batter Harleen Deol asked the Prime Minister with a smile, “Sir, what’s your skincare routine?” drawing laughter all around. Modi laughed it off, saying that his “inner happiness” was responsible for the glow.
Coach Amol Muzumdar spoke of how the team had “manifested” this victory since June, inspired by their earlier meeting with the PM. The players presented Modi with a signed jersey, while he urged them to use their platform to inspire schoolchildren and promote fitness across India. “Visit the schools where you studied,” he said. “Your presence will leave a memory stronger than any speech.”
Modi also used the occasion to tie their achievement to the broader “Fit India” mission, asking the champions to lead conversations on healthy living and even “reduce oil use by ten percent.”
As the meeting drew to a close, the champions posed with the Prime Minister for a group photograph — trophy gleaming under the lights, smiles radiating victory. Outside, fans celebrated what many are calling India’s “1983 moment” for women’s cricket — the day the dream of a generation finally took flight.
The World Cup victory may have lasted a single night, but for India’s women cricketers, the morning after brought something equally unforgettable — a salute from the nation’s leader, and the promise of a future brighter than ever before.
