India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes the team’s historic ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 triumph has transformed the landscape of women’s cricket in the country, as the side now turns its attention towards another major challenge at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales. After ending India’s long wait for a maiden ICC women’s title with victory over South Africa in the 2025 ODI World Cup final, the experienced skipper said the achievement carried a deeper meaning beyond silverware and statistics.
“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 her ICC column. The title win marked a defining chapter in Indian women’s cricket history and elevated expectations around the team heading into the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on June 12 in England and Wales. The tournament will feature 12 teams across seven venues.
Kaur acknowledged that India’s World Cup success has increased both confidence and responsibility within the squad. “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.”
India have undergone a demanding build-up ahead of the global tournament. The side registered a clean sweep against Sri Lanka at home before scripting a landmark T20I series victory in Australia, their first series win there in ten years. However, the team also faced setbacks during a difficult 4-1 series defeat in South Africa.
The Indian captain believes those tours have provided important lessons before the World Cup. “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.”
India are placed in Group A alongside Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Netherlands and South Africa, with their campaign beginning against Pakistan in Birmingham on June 14. Kaur, who recently became the highest-capped woman in international cricket with 356 appearances for India, stressed the importance of handling pressure moments in the shortest format.
“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.
India’s squad for the tournament features a blend of established stars and emerging talents, including Bharti Fulmali, Nandani Sharma, Shree Charani and Kranti Gaud, all of whom are set to play their maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Kaur credited the Women’s Premier League for accelerating the development of young Indian cricketers and creating a stronger competitive environment.
“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.”
England also remains a special place in Kaur’s cricketing journey. Her iconic unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 2017 Women’s World Cup semi-final is still regarded as one of the finest 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 recalled.
(Quotes sourced from Harmanpreet Kaur’s ICC Column)
