The fact that Arundhati Reddy, who, due to the oddity of selections, was the first to hear the announcement that India was now the global champions, was equally poetic.
Everything was so poetic. Ironically, Deepti Sharma, the 2025 World Cup’s soon-to-be MVP, gave India the ball that decided their fate with a complete toss. The ball arced towards Harmanpreet Kaur, the soon-to-be first-ever World Cup-winning India women’s captain, as it left Nadine de Klerk’s bat, fittingly. Kaur held onto the catch that put an end to fifty years of desire.
“Hu hum jeet gaye, Aru.” We prevailed, Aru. HUM JEET GAYE. An overjoyed Harmanpreet screamed into Arundhati’s ears, “WE’VE WON],” and embraced the substitute, who, moments after the catch, safely held her delighted Indian captain in the air. Arundhati was the first to hear history read out loud, amid a thunderous clamor that signaled the end of an agonizing wait.
It takes her a week to find the right words. “It all just happened so fast,” Hyderabad-based Arundhati told Cricbuzz.” “I had to stop Harry Di when she ran toward me.
She simply kept saying, “Arundhati Reddy, we won,” when I took her up.
For me, it was an extremely memorable time to share in Harmanpreet’s happiness. For her, who has played Indian cricket for a very long time, it was obvious that she would make the final catch and that the ball would come to her. I was ecstatic at the moment, simply observing her enjoyment. Then, of course, everyone on the team joined in. It was simply fantastical.
I’m still getting used to that feeling. Lifting that prize for the first time felt fantastic. The festivities continued into the morning; we witnessed the dawn and partied all night. Because it was all so emotional for us, no one slept through the entire night. The goal of this team was to win the World Cup for India. It’s occurring in Mumbai, India, where many of us like playing, just for the love and support we receive.
“It was evident on the morning of the actual game. Even though it was pouring quite a bit in Navi Mumbai when we boarded the team bus, we observed people shouting and waving despite being soaked. It was just intended for us to occur in that manner.
For the 10-year-old Arundhati Reddy inside of her, the cricket nerd she was secretly becoming, it was the fulfillment of a childhood fantasy. When she was younger, her aim was to “one day similarly bring a World Cup trophy home” rather than play for India, since she had fallen in love with the game after witnessing India win the 2007 Men’s T20 World Cup. The women also played, although she was unaware of this.
A few years later, when she started training at an academy, she would spend hours each Sunday watching the local legend Mithali Raj bat in the same nets. It was like watching a cricket textbook come to life for her. Seeing Raj hoist the trophy after guiding India in two failed tries before to her retirement felt like a full circle for Arundhati, fittingly, during India’s victory lap at the DY Patil. It connected her own journey back to its start.
“I have such a lovely memory of that winning lap. We had the chance to present the cup to Mithali di and Jhulan di and observe how their feelings developed. My first encounter with a top-tier athlete as a child was those conversations with Mithali Di, which further inspired me [to represent the nation]. Seeing her up close and playing with her at Railways and India made it really difficult for me to watch her raise the cup because, to be honest, I could feel the tears in her eyes and it felt very personal.
Even Jhulan di—you’ve all seen the images of her crying on television. Sincerely, this World Cup belongs to them just as much as it does to us. They have inspired several generations, been in existence for a long time, and accomplished a great deal for women’s cricket. It was only intended for them to be on the ground that day. The way it happened was inevitable. The stars wrote it all down.
It felt extremely special [to offer them this memory] to witness the feelings of everyone who had been there when women’s cricket wasn’t even that popular, to watch people cry and become emotional. That, in my opinion, encapsulates the World Cup since that is the reason you play. Everyone has been anticipating this day for a very long time.
With her mother present to finally break a three-year finals curse, that night felt like “the biggest win” in every way. Arundhati’s mother was the first parent to sneak onto the field following the historic victory, following three WPL campaigns in which she played for the Delhi Capitals, the defending runners-up. She shed “a lot of happy tears” for her now-world champion daughter during their lengthy embrace.
The game that preceded that evening had been an emotional roller coaster for Arundhati as well. While dealing with her own mental health issues, one of her favorite memories was seeing her best friend, Jemimah Rodrigues, lead a magnificent victory over the defending chamoions.
“I am normally cool in these kinds of situations, but that game… ‘I don’t have the mental capacity any more to watch this game,’ I recalled saying to Harleen [Deol] in the dugout after Alyssa Healy dropped Jemi “.”
Even in the dugout, when Harmanpreet was dismissed, a feeling of déjà vu had begun to creep in. This had been India’s downfall in the previous ICC knockouts. Shortly after the Rodrigues reprieve, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh were fired, just as a partnership appeared to be starting to take shape.
“The events of the Australia game left many of us feeling completely overwhelmed. There were a lot of feelings. Because we’ve been so close to Australia on numerous occasions, it was quite tense [in the dugout]. ‘All these years we’ve lost, but maybe God it’s high that we win now and that you even the scales,’ I asked God as I continued to pray. Really, at that moment, my only option was to pray. In reference to the ambiance of the dugout, Arundhati says, “Even the four of us who were sitting outside that day were like, no matter what happens, we’re going to continuously pray and pray.”
Arundhati had already reached the boundary line when it appeared that the winning runs would soon be forthcoming. Believing that the prophecy she had silently clung to all along was finally coming to pass, she was the fastest of her comrades to get to Rodrigues.
“I told her, ‘Jemi, I have this feeling that this is going to be your best tournament yet,’ before the tournament began, which is kind of odd. She responded, “Yeah, I wish,” but her tournament didn’t get off to a great start. After a few starts and a few ducks, she was dropped because she was unable to convert.
“I had a hunch even then. “I still feel like something significant is due from you, and there’s still time,” I informed her. Then she dismissed it with a laugh. She gave me the look that someone or I was insane. I simply told her that it seems like a set-up, that God is doing this to finally give you a huge boost. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I had a nagging feeling that she was about to do something significant.
“It meant a lot to her that night to be present when the winning runs were hit. I’ve never been the kind to display a lot of emotion on the field. For me, though, that day was just really emotional because I’ve seen her up close. She is like family to me; we have experienced one other’s highs and lows.
In front of such a large crowd in her hometown on the day that everything counted, it was extremely emotional and stressful for her to go there and perform what she did. Once more, it was all written down for her as well.
“We both became emotional when she gave me a hug. “Thanks for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” she simply said. I’m simply so happy that happened and that it did so in the manner that it did.
Maybe her own annoyances were pushed aside for the moment. As of yet, there is no measure that can adequately capture her dedication, which was most evident in the mundane, everyday work she did away from the spotlight. The similarities to Sunil Valson are not lost on her; in fact, she may be reminded of them too frequently for her comfort. Arundhati proudly bears the insignia of “being the constant 12th” despite the fact that she has put her all into the part that takes place behind the scenes.
Arundhati was a fixture in the nets, bowling to her teammates nonstop even during the majority of the optional practice sessions. She was the bearer of important messages, not just drinks, from the dugout to the starting lineup. She was also sometimes the substitute outfield, such as when Pratika Rawal’s bizarre on-field injury or during those historic last moments.
Smriti Mandhana termed Arundhati the team’s emotional core, and she appropriately acknowledged—even saluted—that contribution in this era of social media. More insight into it was provided by Rodrigues, who credited Arundhati with assisting her in managing her feelings during the batter’s anxious campaign.
According to the India all-rounder, she had a conversation with AI Harrsha, the team’s S&C coach, which helped her approach the necessary but unappreciated chores with clarity and purpose.
It’s never pleasant to not play, of course, but that’s how I view it. I have to be supportive of others around me and a good team player. To be present for the squad, I want to help in whatever way I can, even if I’m not playing. Every practice, I tried to get ready as though I were playing the following game. The opportunity may present itself at any time, and I wanted to be prepared for it rather than in a state of “oh, what do I do now?” All I wanted to do was check all the boxes and complete my tasks; after that, whatever comes up, occurs. I’ve always thought that way.
“I told myself I should continue preparing. How I prepare or what I want to accomplish in life shouldn’t be influenced by how I feel. I continued to go about my daily activities as usual. In both life and cricket, I have experienced my fair share of highs and lows. I have reached a point in my work where I tell myself that I must accomplish whatever it is that I must do. The remainder is left to God, who will handle it.
“I genuinely live by the Bhagavad Gita’s teaching that ‘karam karte jao, phal ki iccha mat karo,’ and I make every effort to adhere to it.
“I’m not claiming that I didn’t experience hardship on some days. You obviously want to play in the starting lineup. But it’s still my responsibility to be a good teammate while I’m on the field. Because I believe that your enthusiasm in the dressing room is also very important. I didn’t want anyone to be negatively affected by [my disappointment] or to feel bad about the group. My cricket isn’t played that way.
The goal is to convey the message as correctly and swiftly as possible, even on the 12th. There are many things that you see from the outside and you want to contribute to them, which is equally important.
Creating something beneficial for the squad has always been my goal as the 12th. It’s funny to think that right before the catch on that day against Bangladesh, I was considering taking a blinder today. And then I got the following ball. In actuality, it was pleasant to fill in for Pratika in whatever small way I could.
“I have faith that my time will arrive. I’m not really concerned about it, either. Therefore, I’m alright with clapping for other people till my turn comes,” she explains.
“Harsha and I had a discussion about how you still need to do the tasks at hand. If things are going well or not, you still need to do what needs to be done regardless of what is going on around you.
He talked about the excellent work ethics of India men’s cricket player Arshdeep Singh. “What makes you say that?” I asked him. Because all of the people at that level have the proper work ethics. And when you play for India, everyone knows you’re doing something right. That is the reason you are there. He later informed me, however, that Arshdeep always completes his tasks, even when he isn’t feeling well or making the starting lineup. Something about that remained with me. It simply helped me get into a positive frame of mind.
Ultimately, winning the World Cup and being a member of that team was undoubtedly the high point. You do have dreams about such days, don’t you? And that it simply happened the way it did… I simply have gratitude for everything. I remain appreciative of all that has occurred, how it has occurred, and the numerous lessons I have learned. Nothing, after all, can top the fact that we won the World Cup.”
India
