India’s women’s team meet PM Modi after historic World Cup win

Harmanpreet Kaur and SmritiMandana recalled what PM Modi had told them after losing to England in the 2017 World Cup.

India’s women’s cricket team recently met Prime Minister NarendraModi after their historic World Cup 2025 win. During the conversation, captainHarmanpreet Kaur and SmritiMandana, who had also played in the 2017 World Cup but lost to England that year, recalled what PM Modi had told them.

Harmanpreet Kaur recalls what PM Modi told them in 2017.

Under MithaliRaj’s captaincy in 2017, after fighting tooth and nail to reach the final against England, India lost by just nine runs. However, at that time, PM Modi had lifted the team’s confidence. Today, after the women’s cricket team finally lifted the World Cup, captainHarmanpreet Kaur and SmritiMandhana remembered what PM Modi told them eight years ago. Kaur told PM Modi after the team recently met him, “I still remember when we met you in 2017, we couldn’t bring the trophy, but this is a matter of pride and honour for us that the thing we have been working hard for years, we were finally able to bring the trophy to you here. Your presence has increased our happiness, and our aim now is to meet you more often in the future and take pictures with you.” She added while addressing the camera, “When we lost in the final eight years ago, sir had motivated us a lot. He told us what we needed to do whenever we got our next opportunity. Give our best. And today, now that we’ve finally won the trophy, it felt good to speak with him.”

What did PM Modi say about the team’s win?

He said, “Honestly, what you have achieved is very big. In India, cricket is not a game; in a way, it has become the life of many people. If India plays well, the country feels proud, and if things go wrong even slightly, the entire country gets shaken.” Meanwhile, SmritiMandhana recalled, “When we came in 2017 but couldn’t win the trophy, we asked you a question about expectations, and your answer really helped. The next 6-7 years, we all tried, endured a lot of heartbreaks, but perhaps it was our destiny to win the first World Cup in India. Not just cricket, but the way girls are performing in every field. It’s all the more inspiration and motivation to continue to do the good work and inspire the next generation of women in our country.”