'From the heartbreak of 2005 to the fight of 2017, every tear, every sacrifice, every young girl who picked up a bat believing we belong here, it all led to this moment.'
Women's cricket legends Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami were seen celebrating with Harmanpreet Kaur and the victorious Indian team after their World Cup triumph on Sunday.
Harmanpreet handed over the trophy to Mithali and Jhulan during the victory lap at Navi Mumbai's D Y Patil stadium to honour the legends.
Retired cricketers Anjum Chopra and Reema Malhotra joined in the revelry.
Mithali and Jhulan came close to winning the World Cup -- in 2005 and in 2017.
Jhulan is the only woman cricketer to take more than 200 ODI wickets.
In happy tears, Jhulan gave Harmanpreet a long hug before holding the trophy.
Harmanpreet joined Reema Malhotra as they sang Sadda Haq from Imtiaz Ali's film Rockstar with the victorious team.
Mithali was full of emotion and pride after India defeated South Africa in a thrilling final on Sunday.
'I am just going to give them a hug. The way they have made a comeback in this World Cup was amazing. I am just very happy and emotional that India has finally won the World Cup. That is something we all had been waiting for years, and finally we got to see that,' Mithali said after the game.
Later she penned a beautiful note on X: 'Champions of the World India! I've seen this dream for over two decades, to watch the Indian women lift that World Cup trophy. Tonight, that dream finally came true.
'From the heartbreak of 2005 to the fight of 2017, every tear, every sacrifice, every young girl who picked up a bat believing we belong here, it all led to this moment.
'To the new champions of world cricket, you didn't just win a trophy, you won every heart that ever beat for Indian women's cricket. Jai Hind.'
Harmanpreet spoke about sharing the dressing room with some of the legends.
'Jhulan Di was my biggest support. When I joined the team, she was leading it. She always supported me in my early days when I was very raw and didn't know much about cricket. I used to play with boys, and the school principal picked me up, and within a year, I started representing the country.
'In the initial days, Anjum (Chopra) provided me with a lot of support. I always remember how she used to take me along with her team. I learnt a lot from her and passed it on to my team.
'Both of them have been a great support for me. I am very grateful that I got to share a special moment with them. It was a very emotional moment. I think we all were waiting for this. Finally, we were able to touch this trophy.'
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