“The Team Stayed United With A Positive Mindset”: Harmanpreet Kaur On India’s World Cup 2025 Journey

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the World Cup 2023 win was about mindset and performance. She spoke about a strong belief in the team. She said her dream since childhood was to lead India to a World Cup win.

The Indian women's team captain said, "Since my childhood, I have always dreamed and visualized of leading an Indian team to a World Cup win." She added, "I think my manifestation about this was so strong that we could create history with the World Cup win."

She said that belief did not stay personal. It became a shared vision. The entire squad followed that belief. Harmanpreet said it helped the team stay strong. It guided their efforts through the whole tournament.

Dealing with losses and trolling during the league stage

Speaking at the iQOO Quest Talk podcast, Kaur shared the journey of her team at the Women's World Cup 2025. She also spoke about the trolling and online hate that the team had to face after losing 3 league matches in a row during the World Cup.

Harmanpreet said, "We lost 3 league matches in a row and still the team was united and had a positive mindset of winning all the remaining games." She said the players kept faith despite the results. The dressing room stayed together after each defeat.

She said the team blocked outside noise. "There was a lot of talk in the media… but no one in the team was bothered about it, we all as a team were just visualizing the picture of us lifting the trophy." She called that belief the turning point.

Mental preparation and trust within the squad

Harmanpreet said mental rehearsal shaped their approach. "We have already played the remaining matches in our head so many times that it felt like we were just going on the ground and repeating the same," she said. She stressed how clear images helped performance under stress.

She highlighted trust as a key factor. "Trusting each other in the team and having self-belief were the main ingredients of the successful World Cup 2025 campaign," she said. She credited team culture for the title win. She said shared belief drove consistent effort.

The decisive catch in the World Cup 2025 final

Harmanpreet described the final as a lasting memory. "I have taken a lot of catches in my life, but the World Cup 2025 finals winning catch is the best," she said. She recalled the final over and the pressure on the field.

She spoke about Deepti Sharma’s last over. "During Deepti Sharma's last over, I was backing her to handle the pressure… and finally the catch came to me." Harmanpreet linked the win to belief, preparation, and destiny. She said the moment felt bigger than the field.

Key aspects of India’s World Cup 2025 campaign

Harmanpreet Kaur has always been driven by the dream of leading India to a World Cup title, and her journey reflects resilience and belief. Even after suffering three consecutive losses in the league stage, the team never lost confidence and chose to ignore media criticism and trolling. Harmanpreet emphasised the importance of mental preparation, revealing that she visualised match situations repeatedly before stepping onto the field.

She credited the team's success to a strong culture built on trust and self-belief. The defining moment for her came in the final, where she took what she considers the best catch of her career. In a crucial phase of the game, she also showed faith in Deepti Sharma, backing her to deliver in the final over.