Eight years ago, 16-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues stood at the Mumbai airport gates, clutching a handmade sign and grinning under a cap bearing the thumbs-up symbol.
Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of India's first World Cup triumph in 1983, said the players must not get disappointed if some 'shameless' brands and individuals use the victory to get free publicity.
The victorious Indian women's cricket team led by Harmanpreet Kaur touched down in the national capital on Tuesday evening for its meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
India fined for slow over-rate in Women's World Cup clash against Australia
In a night that will be etched in Indian cricket history, Rohit Sharma fought back tears as the women in blue conquered the world in front of a packed Navi Mumbai crowd on Sunday.
Former skipper Meg Lanning feels Australia's "incredible depth" which has been in full display throughout the tournament gives the seven-time champions an edge over India.
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'I kept talking to him and he kept giving me confidence. He is the master of cricket, and we keep getting inspired just looking at him.'
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
Perry hailed India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues for batting India into the World Cup final, saying their composure under pressure earned applause even from their dressing room.
India will have a final opportunity to iron out any flaws, especially when responding to pressure situations, when they take on Bangladesh in their concluding fixture ahead of Women's World Cup semi-finals, in Navi Mumbai, on Sunday.
India won their maiden Women's World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
As India chase history at home in Navi Mumbai, while Laura Wolvaardt's South Africa will look to script their own fairytale, by finally breaking their run of heartbreaks at ICC events.
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The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be playing an ODI World Cup final for the third time, having finished runners-up in 2005 and 2017 to Australia and England, respectively. This will be South Africa's maiden appearance in the final.
'Her outstanding performance in the World Cup has definitely added to her brand value significantly. The high WPL bids validate it more.'
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#WeTheWomen returned to Mumbai for its eighth edition.
India opener Smriti Mandhana has extended her lead at the top of the ICC ODI ranking for women batters following her fine run at the ongoing Women's Cricket World Cup.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hoped that injured Pratika Rawal will be fit for the semifinal against Australia after the opener twisted her ankle while fielding and hobbled off the ground during the abandoned match against Bangladesh in the Women's World Cup, in Navi Mumbai, on Sunday.
Head coach Gambhir, captain Gill, men's squad send best wishes to Harmanpreet-led side for Women's World Cup final
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
Drama struck even before the first delivery of the India-Pakistan Women's World Cup match at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday
In a first for the tournament, the WPL final will not be played over the weekend, but on Thursday, February, probably to avoid a clash with the men's T20 World Cup, which begins the same week in India and Sri Lanka.
If the men of 1983 gave India a reason to dream, the women of 2025 could give it something rarer -- the courage to live that dream in full daylight, under an open sky that finally belongs to them, points out Prem Panicker.
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'The Women in Blue's final act drew a peak concurrency of 21 million viewers as Harmanpreet Kaur's team became the first Asian team to lift the Women's World Cup.'
India have a mounting worry in the lack of runs so far from talismanic Smriti Mandhana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and the energetic Jemimah Rodrigues.
Indian top-order's strike-rate not a concern but big scores are expected in next matches: Muzumdar
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia believes a first Women's World Cup win for India would be a seminal moment, much like Kapil Dev's team in 1983.
'But looking at our current performance, I'm confident that a medal in the World Cup is not far off.'
Even as Australia pressed hard to regain control with key breakthroughs, Jemimah's focus never wavered. Her shot selection was immaculate and temperament unflappable.
She was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for her consistent all-round display throughout the showpiece event.
All eyes are now on November 25, when all the specs, varians and pricing will be made known.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and pacer Renuka Singh Thakur have been rested for India women's three-match home ODI series against Ireland.
India will have a final opportunity to check their game in pressure situation when they face Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Sunday in what would be a dress rehearsal ahead of the marquee Women's World Cup semifinals against Australia next Wednesday.
India's record-breaking chase against Australia in the Women's ODI World Cup semifinal sent a wave of pride and emotion through the country's sporting fraternity.
India won their maiden Women's World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
In the spin department, while seasoned campaigner Deepti Sharma is an automatic choice, it remains to be seen whether India go with both Radha Yadav and Sneh Rana or opt for either one of them.
After an impressive debut season where Soorma finished third, the club has chosen to keep its core intact, retaining the players who formed its backbone
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