By R. Rakendu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated the Indian women’s team after winning the Women’s ODI (One Day International) World Cup 2025. The Indian players met the Prime Minister at his official residence on 5th November, Wednesday.
The Indian players came to meet the Prime Minister with the World Cup winning trophy. India won the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time by defeating South Africa in the title match held at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on 2nd November, Sunday. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur said that she was happy to meet the Prime Minister with the World Cup trophy. Harmanpreet recalled meeting the Prime Minister after returning from the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup final after losing to England. “That day, we met the Prime Minister without the trophy. But today, we met the Prime Minister with the trophy,” she stated proudly. Harmanpreet said that the team wants such meetings to happen more often.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, while congratulating the Indian team members for winning the title, said that the Prime Minister inspired all the team members. He asked Harmanpreet how she got the ball after winning the final. Harmanpreet replied that it was a lucky catch. The Prime Minister replied that if you saw the ball while taking the catch, then what you saw afterwards was the crown. When Indian pacer Kranti Goud said that his brother is a big fan of Modi, he said that he would like to meet her brother in person.
The Prime Minister was presented with a jersey signed by all the team members of the World Cup-winning team. The BCCI had announced a reward of Rs 51 crore for the Indian team that won the World Cup. Last year, when the Indian men’s team won the T20 World Cup, they held a victory march in an open bus in Mumbai. However, in the wake of the mob tragedy during the victory march of RCB, who won the IPL title, the BCCI has not taken a stand on holding a victory march with the women’s team that won the World Cup.