New Delhi, March 19: In a moment of celebration and pride, Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur paid a courtesy visit to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at his residence on Thursday. This meeting comes on the heels of India’s triumphant victory in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, led masterfully by Kaur.
Under Kaur’s leadership, the Indian team scripted history by clinching the coveted title. The campaign kicked off with a resounding 59-run win over Sri Lanka via the Duckworth-Lewis method. Momentum built as they crushed Pakistan by 88 runs next. However, the road wasn’t smooth; narrow 3-wicket defeats to South Africa and Australia tested their resolve, followed by a heartbreaking 4-run loss to England.
Resilience shone through as India bounced back, defeating New Zealand by 53 runs (D/L method) after a rain-washed no-result against Bangladesh, securing semifinal berth. In the semis, they stunned Australia by 5 wickets to storm into the final, where South Africa fell by 52 runs. Kaur’s personal tally was impressive: 260 runs in 8 innings at an average of 89.04 across 9 matches.
Post-World Cup, Kaur’s captaincy saw mixed results in a home series against Australia. India edged a 2-1 ODI series win in three matches held in February-March, but suffered a clean 0-3 sweep in the subsequent ODI series. Australia dominated the lone Test by 10 wickets.
Kaur’s form in the Australia tour included a duck in the first T20I, followed by 36 in the second and an unbeaten 2 in the third. ODIs yielded 53, 54, and 25, while Test scores were 19 and 11. With 7 Tests, 164 ODIs, and 190 T20Is for India, Kaur remains a cornerstone of women’s cricket.
The meeting with CM Mann underscores the recognition of her achievements, highlighting cricket’s role in fostering state pride and youth inspiration in Punjab.