NAVI MUMBAI: When Amol Muzumdar returned to his Vile Parle East home with his family after celebrating India’s World Cup victory with the team late on Monday night, he little did he realise that the party was not over. At least not just yet. The India women's head coach was welcomed with music played by a band and loud crackers. Sweets were distributed by his neighbours and what seemed even more astonishing was that there was a cricketing tribute as well.
Muzumdar entered his apartment with people standing on either side of the road, holding up a cricket bat -- a beautiful guard of honour. Then came the garlands and autographs. No matter how late or exhausted he was, he still was patient and obliged each one with a smile. This is essence is Amol Muzumdar.
A domestic legend who never got a chance to play for India, just because he belonged to the same generation as Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid. Year after year, he would pile on runs — 11167 to be precise, including 30 centuries — but still he was ignored. His 171 first-class matches spanned across the three teams — Mumbai, Assam and Andhra — before he hung up his boots.
For over 20 years, he was always quiet and an understated student of the game who never hogged the limelight. He loved the sport, played it with dignity and at times it was all out of passion. Sunday was the moment when he basked in the glory. Almost three decades after his first-class debut, Muzumdar carved his name in the annals of Indian cricket. Not as a player but as a coach of the World Cup.
Muzumdar knows that, too. Which is why, when someone asked about his cricketing career arc and whether the World Cup win is a redemption of sorts, he replied in his usual demeanour: “Dramatic nahi banna yaar (Don’t make it so dramatic).” However, even for someone like Muzumdar, who always keeps his emotions in check, this home World Cup brought them out of the Mumbaikar. So much so that he is even a little embarrassed to let it out in public.
As Amanjot Kaur hit out the winning runs against Australia in the semifinal, he let out the biggest roar of his life, celebrating with arms aloft before embracing his captain, Harmanpreet Kaur. On the same night, Kaur would reveal that the coach let the players know in the dressing room how much he was disappointed after the loss against England — she did so with a laugh, standing next to Muzumdar, who was even more embarrassed, trying to underplay it all. “Post that, what grit and determination the girls have shown has been phenomenal. Just phenomenal. Beating New Zealand in a virtual quarter-finals, then semi-finals against Australia, and now against South Africa in the finals. Unbelievable,” Muzumdar said, standing in front of the Indian dressing room two hours after India had won the World Cup.
This was not a perfect campaign. Muzumdar would be the first to admit that. But the impact Muzumdar had in the dressing room was immense. Since Ramesh Powar took over from WV Raman in mid-2021, there was uncertainty among players. Powar lost the job after the 2022 World Cup, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar was interim head coach for over a year before Muzumdar took over in late 2023. Since then, the core coaching staff have remained the same.
“Sir’s contribution in the last two and a half years has been amazing. A lot changed in our dressing room after his arrival. Before that, coaches were changing frequently; we didn’t know how to bring things forward. But after sir came, everything became stable and smooth. He gets a lot of credit for building this team. He made us practice day and night, repeating the things we needed to improve. His contribution has been great for the entire team. I’m really happy that we got the opportunity to work with him,” Kaur said after the final.
It is a watershed moment. Not just for women's cricket, but Indian cricket. This should be an inspiration for all those who want to take cricket as a profession
Amol Muzumdar, India coach
On Sunday, he took it upon himself to say what the players — playing their biggest game of their lives — need to hear. In the team huddle before the toss on Sunday, he told the players: “For the next seven hours, we cut out the noise. We cut the noise out of our lives. We create our own bubble here. We step into it, and we finish that. No more stories (from) outside, we write our own stories. You will write your own story tonight. Let’s stay in the bubble for the next seven hours and let's create history.”
At the stroke of midnight, the eleven players on the field did just that. They wrote their own stories and made history. “I couldn’t have asked for more. I am extremely proud of everyone. Not just the players, but also the support staff. You know, here we are on 2nd November, 2025; World Cup champions,” he said on ICC’s digital channels.
As for Muzumdar himself, after giving almost four decades of his life to the sport, cricket finally gave him a crowing moment. One that will etch his name in the history books for eternity.
