World Cup win bigger than one trophy, brought belief: Harmanpreet

Harmanpreet Kaur calls India's historic 2025 World Cup win a 'seminal moment' that brought belief. She says the focus is now on the T20 World Cup 2026, aiming to sustain success and make winning a habit for the team.

For Harmanpreet Kaur, India's historic triumph at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 was about far more than lifting a trophy. It represented belief, progress and the growing possibilities for women's cricket in the country.

More Than a Trophy: A Seminal Moment

"Winning that World Cup was a seminal moment for women's cricket in India. It was bigger than one trophy. Most importantly, it brought belief and showed young girls that the highest stage is not out of reach," Kaur wrote in the ICC column.

The victory marked India's first ICC women's title and instantly shifted focus towards sustaining success, with the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 nears. "The Women's World Cup 2025 win gave us a massive boost in confidence. However, it was only the beginning. We want to make winning a habit. While the 2025 World Cup win gave us immense joy, it also gave us responsibility. We know expectations will rise, and that brings pressure, of course, but it is a good kind of pressure. It tells you that you have earned something important, and now you have to recreate it again," she said.

Road to T20 World Cup 2026

India's preparations for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup have already tested the side in varied conditions. They clean-swept Sri Lanka at home, followed it with a landmark T20I series win in Australia -- their first against them in a decade -- before enduring a difficult 4-1 series defeat away to South Africa. A series against England now awaits as India aim to adapt to the tournament conditions. "We would like to carry forward the confidence and belief from that win into the T20 World Cup. We know the standards we want to maintain, and the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa have helped us test ourselves and given us plenty of learnings," she added.

The Shorter Format Challenge

Kaur believes success in the shorter format will demand precision from the very beginning. "Winning this tournament would mean a great deal. Every ICC trophy has its own challenges. The format is shorter, the margins are smaller, and the pressure is greater. We will have to be sharper right from the start, and winning the key moments will be crucial. If we win this tournament, it would signal the beginning of a stronger and more consistent era for Indian women's cricket," she added.

Squad Balance and the WPL Effect

India's squad carries significant experience, but also includes four players set for their maiden appearance at an ICC Women's T20 World Cup - Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud. All four impressed in the Women's Premier League, a tournament Kaur credits heavily for strengthening India's talent pool.

"What excites me about this squad is the balance we have. There is talent, fearlessness, and a good mix of experience and youth. A lot of credit goes to the Women's Premier League (WPL). It has unearthed real talent and given players regular exposure to pressure situations, higher standards, and some of the best cricketers in the world. The players have grown in maturity, and the league has helped build a winning mindset," she said.

A Turning Point Revisited

England, the venue for this year's marquee event, also carries special memories for the India captain. Her unforgettable 171* against Australia in the semi-final of the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup remains one of the defining knocks in women's cricket history.

"My memories of the 2017 World Cup in England are still very fresh. My 171 against Australia changed a lot of things in my life. The team's performance in the tournament was a turning point for Indian women's cricket."

"While we could not cross the finish line in the final, the reception we got from fans and the media on our return home was something special. That campaign made people sit up and take notice. Since then, the women's game has grown a lot," she recalls. Nearly a decade later, Kaur believes India cricket stands at another defining moment -- one where the goal is no longer about simply competing, but consistently winning.

A New Era of Winning

"Looking back, I feel proud of how far we have come. Looking ahead, we want to keep getting better, pushing the standard higher and making winning a habit," she concluded.

India is drawn in an exciting Group A alongside Australia, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Pakistan and South Africa. They kick off their campaign on June 14 against their arch-rivals, Pakistan, in Birmingham. (ANI)

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