Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin made a bold remark following India’s historic maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph on Sunday. He applauded Harmanpreet Kaur and her team for a heartfelt gesture that, as he put it, “the men’s team has never done.”
Ashwin praised the women’s squad for celebrating their success by honouring the trailblazers of Indian women’s cricket — Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra.
The legendary trio, part of the commentary team at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, were invited by the players to join them in lifting the trophy, dancing, and sharing tears of joy.
“This victory of the Indian team — how do you see it? Back in 2016–17, when Harmanpreet Kaur played that incredible innings against Australia, we saw the heartbreak that followed against England. Jhulan Goswami was part of that World Cup, Mithali Raj was part of that World Cup,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Even yesterday, the Indian team gave the trophy to Mithali Raj. Why did they do that? I actually take my hat off to the Indian women’s team for that. The Indian men’s team has never done something like this,” he added.
Ashwin’s words stood out for their honesty and boldness. He pointed out that while the men’s team often talks about respecting their predecessors, the women’s team truly showed it.
There were no speeches or grand gestures — just genuine gratitude as they celebrated alongside the legends who paved the way for them.
“Sometimes in front of the media, we say things because that’s the trend — that this person did it, or that person did it. But I haven’t often seen anyone giving true credit to the previous generation,” Ashwin said.
“Usually, it becomes about ‘my generation’s team is good’ and ‘your generation’s team wasn’t that great.’ I’ve seen a lot of such discussions,” he added.
India lifted the Women’s World Cup trophy on Sunday after defeating South Africa by 52 runs. During the team’s victory parade, Harmanpreet Kaur handed the trophy to Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra, leaving the veterans emotional.
Ashwin said the gesture reflected how the current women’s team acknowledged the efforts of the pioneers who laid the foundation for their success — turning years of hard work and sacrifice into a moment of shared pride.
“This women’s team — Anjum Chopra was there, Mithali Raj was there — and by handing them the trophy, they allowed them to see with joy that the seeds they once planted and nurtured are now standing tall as winners today. I found that fascinating, unbelievably good. Because this victory that the Indian women achieved — it didn’t come today. It’s the result of 25 years of work, maybe two or even three decades,” Ashwin said.
The night turned extra special for Jhulan Goswami, who finally got to cradle the World Cup trophy she had chased throughout her career. The veteran pacer, who retired in 2022, couldn’t hold back her tears as Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates handed her the silverware — a moment that summed up years of effort, heartbreak, and hope.
Later, Jhulan revealed the emotional backstory behind those tears — a midnight promise made by her juniors that had now come full circle.
“You know what, before this World Cup they promised me, ‘We’ll do it for you,’” Jhulan told Star Sports. “Last year, they came to my room at midnight and said, ‘We don’t know if you’ll be there next time, but we’ll win it for you.’ And finally, they did it. That’s what made me break down emotionally.”
India’s triumph in Navi Mumbai brought closure to nearly two decades of heartbreak, erasing the pain of the lost finals in 2005 and 2017 and finally delivering the long-awaited World Cup glory for the women’s team.
Ashwin described the victory as an even greater achievement than the iconic 1983 and 2011 World Cup wins by the men’s team, saying it symbolised how far women’s cricket has come in India.
He recalled an incident from eight years ago to illustrate that transformation. “Many years back, Ambati Rayudu was playing at the Hyderabad Gymkhana Stadium. It was around 2017–18, and he was already a sensation then, so the stadium was packed. But nobody knew that Mithali Raj, the then captain of the Indian women’s team, was practising at the same venue. And look where we have arrived now.
“I would truly rate this as an even bigger and more colossal achievement than any other World Cup we have won, because it inspires girls to play the game and consider cricket as a career option,” said Ashwin.
He added that the 2025 triumph could spark a cricketing revolution in India, motivating more young girls to take up the sport. Ashwin also suggested that India’s victory has the potential to inspire filmmakers — but urged them to move beyond formulaic storytelling.
“This is such a significant achievement that it deserves to be adapted into a movie by directors and producers. But they have to change the way they tell the story. They cannot show that India won only because of one or two players. That’s not true. People will always talk about Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Harmanpreet Kaur — but I want to see stories about Amol Muzumdar, about Shree Charani, and how she stood her ground.
“Remember, she wasn’t even part of the setup until June. I would love to see those smaller stories told in an eight-episode documentary with passionate sports storytelling, because this is a truly special story,” he added.
