Tears and Thanks: Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj Lift Trophy After India’s Historic Win

One is the highest run-scorer in women’s cricket. The other has taken more wickets than any woman in history. For nearly two decades, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami carried Indian cricket on their shoulders, came agonisingly close to a World Cup title twice — in 2005 and 2017 — and walked away with hearts, not silverware.

On November 3, 2025, long after midnight, the wait finally ended. Not as players, but as legends.

After India’s historic first Women’s World Cup triumph under Harmanpreet Kaur, the team paused its victory lap at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai — and handed the trophy to Mithali and Jhulan. The crowd roared. The cameras stayed. Time stopped.

Mithali, normally composed, could only manage a whispered “thank you… I am so happy,” her eyes doing the rest of the talking. Many of the new world champions — Harmanpreet, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma — had debuted under her captaincy. In a way, this was still her team, her legacy completed.

Jhulan, the first woman with 200+ ODI wickets, broke down as Harmanpreet hugged her. Then came the childlike joy: lifting the trophy, embracing Smriti, chatting with Richa Ghosh, and sharing the moment with former captain Anjum Chopra, who was also honoured.

The first to hold the trophy, however, was Reema Malhotra — former India cricketer turned broadcaster — who sang “Sadda Haq” with the team in celebration.

For five unfiltered minutes, even TV broadcasters refused to cut away. Mayanti Langer was speechless. The moment captured Indian women’s cricket in full — its past, its present, and the future it has now claimed.

At the pre-match press conference, Harmanpreet reflected on sharing the win with the icons who raised her game.

“Jhulan Di was my biggest support. When I joined, she was captain. I was raw, didn’t know much, but she always backed me… I learnt a lot from Anjum too. I’m grateful we could share this moment. We were all waiting to touch this trophy — and finally, we did,” she said.

On Sunday night, India became world champions.
So did Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami — at last.