Amol Muzumdar says Team India must respect their history to secure future
Head coach feels turning point came after three consecutive losses in tournament
Describes experience of working with Indian players as "absolutely magical"
India’s first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph stands as a defining moment for the sport in the country. Mentoring the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, head coach Amol Muzumdar had a crucial role to play in attaining the unprecedented glory and has opened up about all that transpired behind the scenes.
Speaking on JioStar's show ‘Celebrating Champions’, Muzumdar reflected on the journey behind the victory and the legacy of the players who paved the way, among other things. Honouring former players like Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj who laid the foundation for this victory, the 50-year-old said: "I truly enjoyed watching Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and all our players take the trophy around the boundary to their seniors who helped build women's cricket.
"We must respect our history to secure our future. Full credit goes to pioneers like Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, Reema Malhotra and all the seniors from their era, hats off to them for laying the foundation for this success in the Women's World Cup."
Turning Point In India's Campaign
The three back-to-back losses was what shook the team into positive action, as per Muzumdar. Asked about the crucial turning point in India's World Cup campaign, he said: "After three consecutive losses against Australia, South Africa and England in the group stage, we had a very honest team meeting. I felt we needed a blunt conversation where no barriers existed, and I'm glad the players responded positively.
"Though the scoreboard showed losses to South Africa, Australia, and England, we knew internally that we were playing well but failing to finish games. That realization became our turning point in the tournament."
As for the strategic decision to keep the team grounded after their emotional semi-final victory over Australia, he said: "All our hard work over the past two years wasn't just for winning the semi-final against Australia on October 30th, it was meant for playing in the final of the World Cup on November 2nd, 2025.
"If we had stayed in that euphoria after beating Australia, we might not have reached our ultimate goal. I wanted the team to leave that celebration behind and stay focused on the present moment. That approach made November 2nd truly special when we finally achieved our dream of lifting the Women's World Cup trophy."
On His Own Journey As Coach
Muzumdar described the experience of working with the Indian players as "absolutely magical". Reflecting on his own journey as the head coach of the Indian women's team, he mused: "I first visited the National Cricket Academy in November 2023 and met the Indian team for the first time. From that day, our journey began with one clear goal; to become the world's best team.
"We made some necessary changes in the support staff, team composition, and most importantly, in our mindset. All these efforts have now culminated in this World Cup victory. It has been absolutely magical working with these talented players, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of players and human beings."
