Harmanpreet Kaur does a 'bhangra' celebration during presentation ceremony.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: She never stopped dreaming since picking up her father's 'big' cricket bat as a kid and Harmanpreet Kaur is feeling 'humbled' after leading India to its maiden women's World Cup title.
After leading India to a 52-run win over South Africa in the women's World Cup summit clash in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, Harmanpreet's advice to budding youngsters is: "Never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you." "Ever since, as a kid, I started getting a sense of what likes and dislikes are, I've always seen a bat in my hand. I still remember we used to play with a bat from my dad's kit bag. The bat was very big.
"One day, my dad cut an old bat (to make it small) of his for me. We used to play with it. Whenever we used to watch a match on TV, or watch India play, or watch the World Cup, I used to think, I need an opportunity like this. At that time, I didn't even know about women's cricket," Harmanpreet said in a video released by the BCCI.
The journey which began as a child culminated to lifting the World Cup trophy, which, however, came after struggles and defeats.
"I was dreaming, when will I wear this blue jersey? So I think this means a lot to me, a young girl who didn't know about women's cricket, but still dreaming, that one day, I want to bring that change in our country.
"And I think, it all shows that you should never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you. You never think, when will it happen, how will it happen. You only think, this will happen.
"So, I think, that was my self-belief, that this can be possible. And that exactly happened." The 36-year-old stalwart said she is feeling relaxed and humbled after the childhood dream was realised.
"Personally, it's a very emotional moment. Because, it was my dream since childhood. Ever since I started playing, it was my dream to win the World Cup one day. If I get an opportunity to lead my team, I don't want to miss this opportunity.
"So, I said all these things from the bottom of my heart. And God heard everything one by one. It's like magic. I don't understand how come suddenly everything is falling in place. Everything kept happening one by one.
"Finally, we are world champions. I am feeling very relaxed, very humble, so grateful to God, for giving this team, which we have been dreaming of for so many years, and we are living this moment." Harmanpreet recalled the big reception when the Indian team returned home after losing the 2017 women's World Cup final to England in London.
"After the 2017 World Cup, when we came back, we were so heartbroken. We lost the game by 9 runs. We didn't understand how that happened because that game was also fully in control," she said of the 2017 final where India were all out for 219 in 48.4 overs while chasing 229. "But after coming back, the kind of welcome and motivation we got from Indian fans, that shows that not only us, the entire country was waiting for women's cricket to do something special for them. And special for the country." That team, led by Mithali Raj, had the current team's senior players like Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma.
"Everybody was waiting for this moment. And I think it's because of everyone's blessings and prayers that we were able to cross that line. I don't think we were alone playing in the stadium.
"Everybody, the entire stadium, people who were watching us on TV, everybody came together to win this. Because it wasn't possible alone."