Amol Muzumdar becomes India’s real-life 'Kabir Khan', leads Indian women's team to historic World Cup win

Muzumdar was appointed as head coach of the Indian Women's team in October 2023, he walked the team to their maiden World Cup win.

Amol Muzumdar just pulled off his own 'Kabir Khan' moment (Shah Rukh Khan's character in Chak De India movie), guiding the Indian women’s cricket team to their first-ever ICC World Cup triumph.

Twelve years after hanging up his boots, Muzumdar -- India’s one of the most prolific domestic right-hand batters never to wear the national cap -- finally etched his name into cricketing folklore.

The women’s team didn’t waltz to the title either. According to Muzumdar, they stumbled, hard. Three straight losses to South Africa, Australia, and England had critics sharpening their knives. But that’s when the story turned. What followed was a comeback- first a gritty must-win victory against New Zealand, then a world-record chase to knock out defending champions Australia, and finally, a resounding win against South Africa in the final.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur later revealed that their coach’s “aggressive but honest” talk after the England defeat was the spark that reignited the team. “Sir was a little angry that day—but in a good way,” she laughed. “He spoke from the heart, and we all knew he was right. We could feel the emotion behind every word."

Muzumdar himself admitted that something shifted after that moment. “Post-England, I could sense the change,” he said. “When we practised next, there was energy—raw, infectious energy. You could tell they were done losing.”

The man behind the moment

Appointed as head coach in October 2023, Muzumdar walked into a team in transition. Legends Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami had just retired, the coaching post had been vacant for nearly a year, and the team was searching for direction.

But Mazumdar wasn’t new to rebuilding stories. He’d coached Mumbai in domestic cricket, worked with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, and even stepped in as interim coach for South Africa during their India tour. He knew how to steady a ship, and how to make it believe again.

The early days were rough. India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign ended in disappointment, but Mazumdar doubled down, working quietly on discipline, confidence, and intent. By 2025, the results started to show. India defeated England in their own backyard for the first time and followed it up by toppling Australia in a home series.

The World Cup win, that was the crescendo

Mazumdar’s journey from overlooked player to championship-winning coach feels poetic. For years, he watched India’s batting legends—Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly—take center stage while he dominated only the domestic circuit. Over 11,000 runs, 30 centuries, and yet no India cap.

In Muzumdar, Indian cricket may not have found another run-machine, but it found its very own 'Kabir Khan'—quietly fierce, deeply committed, and determined to turn “almost” into “finally".

The women’s team now stands as the world champion, but Mazumdar’s win runs deeper. He didn’t just coach them to a title—he made them believe they were born for it.