Indian Women's Cricket Team Celebrates World Cup Victory with Prayers at Mahakaleshwar Temple

The Indian women's cricket team, fresh off their ICC World Cup 2025 victory, celebrated the New Year 2026 with prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple. Their journey to the title was marked by resilience, overcoming early setbacks to achieve a historic win. Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the team not only clinched the World Cup but also dominated the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka. This article delves into their remarkable achievements and the significance of their victory.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 1, 2026, 10:17 IST

Celebrating New Year with Gratitude

Members of the Indian women's cricket team, who triumphed in the ICC World Cup 2025, participated in the Bhasm Aarti at the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, offering their prayers as they welcomed the New Year 2026. #WATCH | Ujjain, MP | Indian Women’s Cricket Team members pray at Mahakaleshwar Temple on the first day of #NewYear2026 pic.twitter.com/5CEv1ksHhJ — News Media January 1, 2026

A Remarkable World Cup Journey

The journey of the Women in Blue was nothing short of historic, culminating in their first ICC Women's World Cup title. Overcoming significant challenges, the team transformed their narrative from being underdogs to champions, showcasing resilience and determination.

Initially, India's World Cup campaign faced hurdles, with three consecutive losses against South Africa, Australia, and England, putting their chances of progression in jeopardy. However, a pivotal moment came when they defeated New Zealand by 53 runs, reigniting their hopes.

In the semi-finals, India achieved a remarkable feat by chasing down 339 runs against Australia, marking the highest successful run chase in World Cup knockout history for both men's and women's tournaments.

After previous disappointments in the finals of 2005 and 2017, India secured their victory by defeating South Africa by 52 runs, fulfilling a long-awaited dream for head coach Amol Muzumdar and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been a part of the team since 2009.

T20I Dominance

Recently, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian women's team achieved a clean sweep against Sri Lanka, winning all five matches in the T20I series. This victory marked their third 5-0 series win in T20Is, having previously accomplished this against the West Indies in 2019 and Bangladesh in 2024. For Sri Lanka Women, this was their first experience of a 5-0 defeat in a five-match T20I series.