Harmanpreet Kaur Calls World Cup Final Berth the Pinnacle of Her Cricketing Journey

Harmanpreet Kaur is excited to feature in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Final on Sunday. She has termed this event as the biggest moment of her cricketing career so far. It is certainly a proud moment for Team India, because reaching the final once seemed a distant dream when they lost back-to-back matches early in the tournament.

The captain said that the semifinal against Australia was a high-profile match, and it tested the quality of the Indian team. After winning the match, it was equally important for her team to recover mentally, because facing a bigger challenge in the final certainly requires a fresh mindset.

"Well, the semi-final was a very high-pressure game and very intense. After that, recovery was something which we all paid more attention to because the fresher we are, mentally, for the final, the better it will be.” said Harmanpreet Kaur at the pre-match press conference.

She then explained the hard work India has done over the years to reach this stage. The captain specifically mentioned the training camps in which batters worked day and night to enhance their skills. Because of this, she always had confidence in her team’s skills, and the semifinal win against Australia has certainly justified that trust.

"Because we have been working hard for so many years and we have been batting day and night, whenever our batters camped or there were team camps. So, skill-wise we know we have done a lot and now it's only about keeping ourselves fresh for tomorrow and recovery is something which we all talk about, and everybody is really taking that thing very seriously and hopefully tomorrow we will feel even fresher for the main game.” said Harmanpreet Kaur.

Discussing the team’s strategy, Harmanpreet emphasized that staying focused throughout the match is crucial for a good performance. To achieve this feat, they have conducted various sessions to enhance their focus during the game. The upcoming final on Sunday would be a big game, so maintaining focus will once again become key for every Indian player.

"Keeping yourself balanced and focused is something which is the key. We are having those sessions where we have been talking about how we can be more focused and more balanced and at the same time keeping ourselves relaxed because this is the biggest stage and biggest opportunity for us, playing in home conditions and that also final match.” said Harmanpreet Kaur.

She also said that the team wants to enjoy this big match without making things complex. This is certainly important to perform well in the match, because thinking about too much things can disrupt their focus indirectly.

"But I think the most important thing is that we have to enjoy this because there is nothing bigger than this in our life as a cricketer and as a captain. So our focus is to enjoy this moment and keep taking small targets which we have to achieve as a team rather than thinking bigger targets because you can achieve bigger targets if you achieve the small targets." said Harmanpreet Kaur.

Harmanpreet has featured in multiple World Cups before, so she understands the nature of the event and the pressure associated with it. The captain is currently looking to the final with great motivation, as it presents India with a golden opportunity to win the title on home soil.

"We know pretty well how it feels after losing [a World Cup final]. We're really looking forward to the feeling of winning a final. Hopefully it's going to be a special day for us tomorrow. We've worked really hard, and now it's about getting everything together tomorrow." said Harmanpreet Kaur.

The upcoming final on Sunday between India and South Africa is a high-pressure match. Harmanpreet Kaur is ready to perform well in the match, though she also understands that South Africa will come hard at them, capitalizing on their current form in the tournament.