Harmanpreet reveals how narrow loss to England, changed 'a lot' for Team India

Following her side's maiden ICC Women's World Cup victory, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur reflected on the team's journey, saying that the loss to England was a turning point.

India, during the group stages of the Women's CWC, lost by a narrow margin of four runs against England. Kaur believed the defeat had a profound impact on the team, prompting them to work on their mental approach.

Kaur also expressed excitement and relief at finally winning the World Cup, looking forward to celebrating and awaiting the BCCI's plans for the team.

India finally broke their world title drought, securing their maiden ICC Women's World Cup title by beating first-time finalists South Africa by 52 runs in a clinical display at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

"The last month has been very interesting. It's very rare that things don't go according to your plan, and yet you stay so positive. We were really looking for this cup, that was something special in our group. Not a single player said, "What will we do now?" Everybody just thought, "It's okay." After losing the England match, we were really heartbroken. We were about to win that match, but we collapsed. We had seen this in the past. That day, Sir also said, "You can't make the same mistakes again and again. You have to cross that line," Harmanpreet Kaur told the reporters.

"After that day, a lot changed for us. Every time, we cannot go on repeating the same things. We had to come with a strong mind. That night changed a lot for us. It had an impact on everyone. We were more prepared for the World Cup. We started visualisation and meditation. Everyone took it seriously and started enjoying it. There were 1-2 players who didn't like visualisation and meditation, but later everyone came together. That showed we were here for something, and this time we had to do it. As for the celebration -- we've been waiting for this moment. The celebration will go on all night! And then let's see what BCCI is planning for us," she added.

Kaur praised Indian head coach Amol Muzumdar's significant contribution to the team's World Cup victory. She credited him with bringing stability and structure to the team, allowing players to improve and grow.

"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.

Kaur expressed immense pride and happiness after winning the Women's World Cup, stating that this victory will bring about a significant change in women's cricket in India. She mentioned that the team had been performing well but needed a big win to prove themselves. Kaur believes this win will have a lasting impact on the sport, inspiring young girls and bringing more attention to women's cricket.

"Yes, definitely. We have been talking about this for many years -- we've been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament. Without that, we couldn't talk about change. At the end of the day, fans and the audience want to see their favourite team win. It's not that we weren't playing good cricket, but we were waiting badly for this moment, and today we got a chance to live it. I don't know how to express it, but I'm so happy and so proud of this team. Kaur on this victory will have the same impact on women's cricket?" she concluded.