India Women's Team Coach Inspires Victory Ahead of World Cup Final

A Call to Focus and Create History

Amol Muzumdar, the head coach of the India women's cricket team, delivered an inspiring message to his players, urging them to ignore external distractions and focus on crafting their own narrative before the Women's World Cup final against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

Prior to India's historic 52-run victory, Muzumdar gathered the team for a motivational huddle, emphasizing the importance of staying focused. He encouraged the Harmanpreet Kaur-led squad to maintain a protective bubble that would shield them from outside influences and aim for the prestigious trophy.

"For the next seven hours, let’s eliminate all distractions. We will create our own environment, finish strong, and write our own story, free from outside narratives. This is our moment to make history," Muzumdar stated in a video shared by the ICC on Instagram following the match.

Historic Win in the Final

In a thrilling final, India set a formidable target of 298 runs, thanks to Shafali Verma's explosive innings of 87 runs off 78 balls and Deepti Sharma's quickfire 58 runs. South Africa, in response, managed only 246 runs in 45.3 overs, despite a valiant century from their captain, Laura Wolvaardt, who scored 101 runs off 98 balls. Muzumdar, while not donning the Indian jersey, played a pivotal role as the head coach during this landmark achievement.

"I am incredibly proud. It feels surreal, and this achievement is remarkable. The team deserves all the accolades and recognition that will come their way. They have put in tremendous effort and made every Indian proud," Muzumdar expressed after the victory.

"We viewed our previous losses not as failures but as matches where we fell short. We dominated many of those games and faced some challenges. We persevered in the tournament, and now we stand as world champions. This is a significant milestone for Indian cricket," he reflected on their journey.