New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has lauded the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side for their historic triumph at the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, adding that they definitely are deserving of every single bit of appreciation and accolade they are getting.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side lifted the trophy for the first time after beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final held at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Since then, the side has been in New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

“Girls definitely deserve every single bit of appreciation and accolade that they are getting. They have worked really hard for it and so as the support staff, the likes of Amol Muzumdar, Munish Bali, and Aavishkar Salvi. So, I’m very happy for them.

“As I said, this is a pivotal moment. You ask anybody who has watched the 1983, they’ll remember the Indian team going and meeting then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and everybody speaks about it. Today, it is Narendra Modi. So, I just am very happy for them and I’m happy I was there to watch it happen, most importantly,” Karthik said in an exclusive interaction with IANS, on the sidelines of upcoming Hong Kong Sixes tournament.

Karthik was a member of the commentary team for the final and said he sensed something special for the Indian team from the outset. “Right from the start, I remember doing the pitch report and just walking around, speaking to a couple of the coaches, a few of the players, who were very excited.”

“It’s a bit of a watershed moment in women’s cricket – never been achieved before and they’ve tried so hard. Over the years, they have really worked hard as individuals to see the fruits of their hard work come in today.

“There are 15 young girls who are champions of the world and because when you saw the prize distribution and all the fanfare that happened later, the one thing that sticks to my mind very clearly is how the ex-cricketers enjoyed it, embraced it and were so proud of the girls to have achieved what they’ve done. It tells you how hard their journey has been and how happy they are to see where Indian women’s cricket is.”

Karthik signed off by noting a visible shift in how women’s cricket was consumed during the tournament, particularly in the knockout stages. “I think there’s a seismic shift in the way women’s cricket is consumed. I could see a stark difference in the semis and finals that happened in Navi Mumbai. Packed houses for both games and also very well watched digitally and obviously on TV, in terrestrial as they call it.

“So, this moment that happened a few days ago is going to change the face of women’s cricket. There are going to be a lot of young girls across the length and breadth of the country who will be inspired and pick up a bat or ball and say, I want to achieve something similar to what these heroes have done.”

Watch Hong Kong Super Sixes Cricket League 2025 – Day 1 – India vs Pakistan on 7th November 2025 from 1:05 PM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD.

–IANS

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