Former India captain and one of the pioneering figures in women’s cricket, Diana Edulji, expressed her pride after the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup on Sunday night at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Edulji described the triumph as “a red-letter day” for Indian cricket, saying she felt proud to be a woman cricketer.
“Well, today is a red-letter day. I’m very happy and a proud woman cricketer. All the hard work of the last 50 years has borne fruit today. I’m very, very proud that the girls have won this World Cup. They deserve all the accolades — they played wonderful cricket, and today, they played like a true champion team.
“You could tell they were hungry for this victory and determined to finally cross the line, which they had been striving for. Since 2017, we have been trying to get over the line. I recall my days as a COA member when we were in England and missed it by just eight runs. I’m very happy today.
“It’s been a long journey, but a fruitful one. I would like to especially congratulate Shafali and Richa because they won the Under-19 World Cup and now the senior one too. That is a very proud moment.”
She also praised the crowd’s support, saying the team’s home triumph was a fitting gift to the fans who had supported them throughout.
“Oh, excellent, excellent crowd! And what better gift to give them. It’s wonderful that the girls have done it at home, with 40,000 people watching,” Edulji said.
India defeated first-time finalists South Africa by 52 runs in the final to clinch their maiden ICC trophy in front of a jubilant home crowd.
—IANS