Eerie echoes of history: Harmanpreet mirrors Kapil Dev with World Cup-winning catch
Two generations, two captains, one golden thread — a flying catch that scripted history for Indian cricket
The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 ended in the most poetic way imaginable, with a moment eerily reminiscent of Indian cricket history — echoing the iconic running catch of Kapil Dev at Lord’s in 1983, which helped India clinch its first-ever men’s World Cup.
India women’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, stationed at cover, completed a flying catch to dismiss Nadine de Klerk, South Africa’s last recognised batter, securing the team’s maiden World Cup title.
The batter attempted an uppish cover drive to clear the fielder inside the ring, but Harmanpreet timed her leap perfectly, plucking the ball out of thin air — converting a half-chance into the decisive wicket that ended the game and two decades of heartbreak for Indian women’s cricket.
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Harmanpreet’s soaring grab at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai gave the nation a new chapter to celebrate.
The ICC highlighted the striking similarity in an Instagram post: “Harmanpreet Kaur 🤝 Kapil Dev.... Iconic catches and leading India to a World Cup first 🏆 #CWC25”
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The Indian women's team kept its date with history, defeating South Africa by 52 runs and scripting a golden chapter in the country’s sporting pantheon.
If 1983 was a watershed for men’s cricket, November 2, 2025, will be remembered as the seminal moment that elevated Indian women’s cricket to the world stage. Harmanpreet Kaur’s catch, much like Kapil Dev’s, will now live forever in cricketing lore.
Also read: Moga cheers as 'queen of cricket' Harmanpreet makes it from village grounds to world stage
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