PM Modi meets India’s Women’s World Cup champions, hails team’s spirit and historic win

PM lauds India’s women’s team for stunning comeback, beating South Africa by 52 runs

Last updated: November 05, 2025 | 19:38

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding the trophy poses for a group picture with the champions of the Women’s World Cup 2025, at his residence 7, LKM in New Delhi on Wednesday.

ANI

Dubai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the victorious Indian women’s cricket team at his residence in New Delhi following their historic 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led squad, dressed smartly in formals and wearing their medals, was congratulated by the Prime Minister for their resilience, teamwork, and fighting spirit.

Modi praised the team’s remarkable comeback after a tough start to the tournament, overcoming three early defeats to lift the trophy by defeating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. He lauded their ability to stay focused amid social media trolling and immense pressure.

During the interaction, Captain Harmanpreet Kaur recalled meeting Modi in 2017 after their World Cup final loss, saying, “This time we came with the trophy — and we hope to meet you again with more.” Vice-Captain Smriti Mandhana thanked Modi for his constant encouragement and for championing women’s sports in India.

Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma shared that Modi’s earlier words — to keep working hard and never give up — had stayed with her. The Prime Minister also appreciated her “Jai Shri Ram” tattoo, saying faith gives strength.

Modi encouraged the team to promote the Fit India movement, particularly among young girls, and to visit schools to inspire the next generation. He congratulated them again for their “exceptional teamwork and tenacity,” calling their victory “a golden chapter in India’s sporting history.”

With inputs fom ANI

Also In This Package

India’s first girls cricket match was held in Kerala

India's World Cup hero who disguised herself as boy

Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 26 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox

Up Next