NAVI MUMBAI: “Mushkil hai ye batana (Difficult to say), honestly,” laughs Harleen Deol when asked whether the reality of her and the Indian team becoming the World Champions has settled. It had been less than 24 hours since she walked alongside her captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, from the DY Patil stadium at 3 AM on Monday, dancing to Punjabi songs with the winners' medal around their neck.
In what was an emotionally charged roller coaster of a campaign, Deol and the Women in Blue hung in there, persisted, and course-corrected enough to win their first-ever World Cup. The celebrations continued through the night at the team hotel, and even though the magnanimity of it all hadn’t hit them just yet, they knew their lives had changed forever. “It was like suddenly, when we got up and saw the ground (from the hotel room), the night had changed into morning,” Deol describes the historic night.
On a personal front, Deol scored 169 runs at 33.80 average in five innings before making way for Jemimah Rodrigues at No 3. The Chandigarh-born Himachal Pradesh batter, describes the bubble the team was in, handling criticisms. “Obviously, when things come in our favour, everything fades away.”
In a conversation with The New Indian Express, the 27-year-old speaks about how the special victory was for their Harry di (Harmanpreet), the past legends, their families, what the impact of this World Cup would be and more…Excerpts.
How did it feels when you woke up in the morning after the final as champions?
It was good, actually. At that time (after winning), we were in a momentum. We were not able to understand things. First of all, we didn't sleep much. After that, when we woke up, obviously, everything was different.
What was going through your mind when you saw Harmanpreet take the final catch?
When Nadine de Klerk hit the shot, my focus was on Harry di. As soon as she caught it, the feeling was very different. Everyone was very excited after that because that was it. Because we also knew that Nadine was a very good player. Previously, she was the one who chased. So, we knew that she was someone who could take the game at any time. When things went our way this time, it was amazing.
At 3 AM, you and Harmanpreet were vibing to Punjabi songs, walking to the hotel. How special was that?
Actually, looking at Harry di, it felt better. It was more satisfying for her because it was her fifth World Cup and for us the first one. Obviously, it was a big weight on her. So, looking at her like that, everyone felt good. For so long, this group has been together. Everyone knew that things like this were coming to us. Everyone is very connected. Everything happened together, so it felt very good. And it was all in India, so even better.
There was a lot of pressure on you at No3. How were you handling with criticism from outside?
I don't know. It all depends on how you take things. I didn't know what happened. Honestly, I don't feel connected with social media. We were very prepared for that. We knew it was a home World Cup and there would be a lot of pressure. But it never bothered us. It didn't bother me. We were so present at that time. We didn't realise how things are going outside the cricket. We had a proper bubble around us. We honestly didn’t feel those things. But obviously, when things come in our favour, everything fades away.
Even though you are in a bubble, it is hard not to feel the pressure after three losses. How did things took a turn for the better?
Those matches were very close. It wasn't like we were losing one-sided. It was like the game was with us, and at the end, things were different. We believed that it was just the end part where we had to work. When we played the semifinal, we could finish that game. We learned from our mistakes. And obviously, Amol (Muzumdar, head coach) sir, when we lost the England match, he was very disappointed. Obviously, he has put in so much hard work. He is also allowed to show emotions for the team. We all respected that. We knew that it was good for us. We all took it in a good way. We knew that everything was going to fall into place.
How special was bringing the parents to the podium and celebrating with them?
When our cricketing journey starts, it starts with them. It is such an exciting thing for them that their kids are playing the World Cup final and we are winning. So, everyone were very excited. Some time ago (on Monday evening), we were talking to our parents about how it was a dream come true, and it still feels like we have seen so much. Along with us, their dreams have come true.
What was it like sharing the trophy with former legends like Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Anjum Chopra, Reema Malhotra and others?
We went for a lap. And all of them were there. It was their dream to break the barrier of winning the World Cup. All of them have worked very hard. If we can play such cricket so easily for so long, it is only because of them. It was their dream too. They worked so hard, and all of them have played with us. Everybody is emotionally involved with every player. The way they celebrated it was an emotional moment for them. To see them like this was quite emotional for all of us.
You have grown up together with many of your teammates. How special was sharing this dream with them?
Obviously, since childhood, we have played cricket together. Even with Jemi, we have grown up together. Obviously, after we won the World Cup, we just looked at each other and we hugged. And all those years, we played together, the memories came as a flashback. Initially, Jemi was not doing that great in the World Cup. It was like I know you can do well. So, standing up for each other at that time, because we have been together for so long in the team. You know when that person is low, how that person feels and what all that person goes through. Because of that, you are differently connected with some people. So, yeah, that is special.
DY Patil Stadium has not become the home for this team, right?
It's very special. We have played a lot of series here. Everybody just loved the atmosphere over here; the wickets, the ground staff. We have defeated Australia here before. Everybody was very confident. The atmosphere here gives you a homely vibe. I would say that this is the ground we have set up a lot of camps. Everybody is well aware of the ground conditions, the wickets, how it will be played, all those things. That's why we were very happy that DY Patil is getting the final.
What do you think the impact the World Cup win will have on the women’s cricket ecosystem?
We don't even know what the changes will be. We are also seeing things. Obviously, we also don't know how things will turn over. But, we knew that after winning a World Cup, everything is going to change in terms of people, the game of cricket, everything. So even we don't know what impact we have made. But, we know that it's very special. No women's team has done that. You are the first one. Like the captain said, we want to make it a habit.
