A day later, as you look at the photos of the Indian women's cricket team with the World Cup in Mumbai - each player showcasing her emotion in her own special way - it's hard not to think of the countless barriers each must have broken to wear the India blue and stand where they did on that magical Sunday night.
While the team delivered in every crucial moment, what made them true champions was not just their on-field brilliance but also the grace they showed off it.
Take Jemimah Rodrigues, whose blistering 127 not out off 134 balls in the semis against Australia turned the game around. Soon after, she shared a warm social media exchange with 20-yr-old Bangladeshi player Marufa Akter, who posted a note praising Rodrigues' performance and wishing her well.
The Indian star responded by calling Akter an inspiration for girls in Bangladesh and beyond - a powerful gesture of camaraderie that showed how sport can - and should - transcend political tensions.
Now, contrast this exchange with what followed India's Asia Cup victory in Dubai in September. When Suryakumar Yadav's team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi - also Pakistan's interior minister - and refused to shake hands with Pakistani players, sports gave way to politics. The next 48 hrs were consumed by reactions and counter-reactions, with Naqvi stoking the controversy further. SKY later defended the team, saying that a few things in life were 'ahead of the spirit of sportsmanship', reducing a proud win to political posturing.
The women, by contrast, did no grand declarations, a reminder that sport is savoured best when it rises above petty politics and, despite fierce rivalries, remains a contest that is spirited, honourable and joyous.
While the team delivered in every crucial moment, what made them true champions was not just their on-field brilliance but also the grace they showed off it.
Take Jemimah Rodrigues, whose blistering 127 not out off 134 balls in the semis against Australia turned the game around. Soon after, she shared a warm social media exchange with 20-yr-old Bangladeshi player Marufa Akter, who posted a note praising Rodrigues' performance and wishing her well.
The Indian star responded by calling Akter an inspiration for girls in Bangladesh and beyond - a powerful gesture of camaraderie that showed how sport can - and should - transcend political tensions.
Now, contrast this exchange with what followed India's Asia Cup victory in Dubai in September. When Suryakumar Yadav's team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi - also Pakistan's interior minister - and refused to shake hands with Pakistani players, sports gave way to politics. The next 48 hrs were consumed by reactions and counter-reactions, with Naqvi stoking the controversy further. SKY later defended the team, saying that a few things in life were 'ahead of the spirit of sportsmanship', reducing a proud win to political posturing.
The women, by contrast, did no grand declarations, a reminder that sport is savoured best when it rises above petty politics and, despite fierce rivalries, remains a contest that is spirited, honourable and joyous.
