‘Tum ladkiyo ne kabhi kuch jeeta hai?’: Harmanpreet Kaur’s World Cup win shuts every 'bully who mocked women’s cricket'

The World Cup triumph on Sunday at the DY Patil Stadium was more than just another trophy. It echoed the voices of past generations who fought for identity and recognition in women’s cricket, enduring years of struggle, limited hope, and countless heartbreaks.

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Raut was at the forefront of one such heartbreak, the 2017 ODI World Cup final against England. The then-opener scored a valiant 86 off 115 balls but couldn’t take India past the finish line, as they fell agonisingly short by just nine runs. Raut, speaking to The Times of India, recalled that the defeat was followed by harsh criticism from the public.

"Tumne kya kar liya? Kabhi kuch jeeta hai? Tum ladkiyan kya kar sakti ho? Ladkiyan cricket khel sakti hain kya?" (What have you ever achieved? Have you ever won anything? What can girls even do? Can girls really play cricket?)

While Raut has fallen out of reckoning for a place in the Indian team, only three players from the 2017 squad were retained for the 2025 tournament: Deepti Sharma, Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur, all of whom played their part to perfection in fulfilling a billion dreams. Raut felt that the World Cup win couldn’t have been a more fitting reply to all those who once mocked women’s cricket.

"I am very happy and emotional. I couldn't control my tears. Many, many congratulations to this team. We have proved it — the answer has been conveyed. When I started playing cricket, I experienced bullying. I was bullied by boys. I told them I knew how to play cricket, but they mocked me. They said girls can't play cricket. I didn't like what they said. I was young, I was angry, but I couldn't express it at that time. When they said that, it hit me badly," She said.

"How can they say that? That's what I always asked myself. After that, we decided — one day, the whole world will know that girls can also play cricket. And somewhere, Harmanpreet Kaur must have experienced the same. I remember we both debuted in the same World Cup, in 2009. We had the same journey, the same age. I am sure Harmanpreet must have gone through the same experiences. That’s why she wrote, ‘It’s not only a gentleman’s game. It’s everyone’s game.’"

Raut added that India's win on Sunday finally helped her move on from the pain of the 2017 loss, ending years of hurt and turning it into pride.

"What Harmanpreet said - she was right. It was the goal of the team. Even in 2017, we played for that - for all those girls whose parents were restricting them. It is very important to change that mindset. And when a World Cup stage comes in front of you, that's the opportunity to do something. She is right, and she has brought a big change in Indian women's cricket."

"The last time we lost the trophy by 9 runs. That is a wound that hasn't healed yet. We should have scored those 9 runs. It was going on in my mind for a long time. But Harmanpreet has done it. That bad memory has finally faded away. That defeat haunted me and all of us for nine years," she said.

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