Women’s World Cup star Kranti Goud: From a remote village in India to champions

Dubai: It was in May this year that fast bowler Kranti Goud earned her One-Day International (ODI) cap during a match against Sri Lanka. It was a proud moment — though she didn’t realise that even bigger milestones awaited her.

Just five months later, the 22-year-old finds herself basking in glory as part of the World Cup-winning Indian women’s team, which defeated South Africa in the final last week to claim the championship.

“I made my debut just five months ago, and now I’m a World Cup champion,” Kranti said with a smile. “I’m especially proud that the tournament was held in India and that we lifted the trophy at home.”

Goud played a crucial role in India’s successful campaign, taking nine wickets in eight matches and consistently building pressure with the new ball.

“In our team, no one ever gave up,” she added. “We believed that if we stayed united, we would win the World Cup — and we did.”

But Kranti’s journey to international success was anything but easy. Hailing from Ghuwara, a small, remote village in Madhya Pradesh, she had little idea that an Indian women’s cricket team even existed.

“I didn’t even know there was an Indian women’s team,” she recalled.

Her love for the game began far from the glare of stadium lights. As a young girl, she would watch the neighbourhood boys play cricket, tossing the ball back whenever it rolled her way. One day, when they were short of a player, she got her first chance to join in — a moment that would change her life forever.

“At first, they only let me field,” she laughed. “But slowly, I started bowling too. I didn’t even know what a spin bowler was — I just tried bowling fast like the boys.”

Her real break came when she played in a local leather-ball tournament and met Rajiv Bilthre, then secretary of the Chhatarpur District Cricket Association. Impressed by her raw pace, he asked if she aspired to play international cricket.

“I didn’t even know there was a girls’ international team,” she said. “He took me to his academy, and within six months I was playing senior division matches. A year later, I debuted for Madhya Pradesh’s Under-19 team in Vadodara.”

Coming from a conservative background, Kranti initially faced resistance from her community. “In my village, people didn’t allow girls to play,” she said. “They would question why my family let me play with boys. But I always believed that one day, those same people would clap for me.”

And they do now.

“The ones who used to taunt us are now congratulating us. Women’s cricket is growing, and after this World Cup win, it’s only going to get bigger,” she said proudly.

When it comes to her bowling, Goud keeps things simple.

“I just try to execute whatever our coach, Amol Muzumdar, tells me. I don’t try anything extra,” she explained. “Whether it’s the WPL, domestic, or international level — every coach emphasises one thing: bowl at the stumps.”

Kranti also shared a memorable moment from the team’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the World Cup victory.

“I told him my brother is a big fan of his,” she said. “He smiled and told me, ‘I’ll make sure to meet your brother soon.’”

And with that, Kranti Goud signed off — a rising star who has turned her childhood dreams from a dusty village field into a shining moment on the world stage.