Harmanpreet Kaur has created history by becoming India’s first-ever Women’s World Cup-winning captain, etching her name in Indian cricket folklore. After leading the team to victory in the 2025 Women’s World Cup final, she followed a special tradition once set by a cricket legend.
Back in 1983, when India lifted their first Men’s World Cup, Sunil Gavaskar kept the match ball and got it signed by all his teammates as a memory of that iconic win. Similarly, Harmanpreet has now chosen to preserve the match ball from the Women’s World Cup final, marking a touching tribute to India’s proud cricketing legacy.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the victorious Indian women’s cricket team, he asked Harmanpreet Kaur about her thoughtful gesture of keeping the match ball. Harmanpreet revealed that the decision wasn’t something she had planned in advance. It was a spontaneous act that came from the emotion and pride of leading India to their first-ever Women’s World Cup title.
“I will have it with me. It was God’s plan. I got that ball. After so many years of hard work, after so many years of waiting, now I have it. I still have it in my bag,” Harmanpreet said.
“Did you see what Harmanpreet did when she took that catch? She put the ball in her pocket, just like somebody did in 1983. I hope she takes autographs of all her teammates, maybe even the South Africans, because that will be a memento she’ll cherish for life,” Gavaskar had said, in an interaction with India Today.
