'I was bullied': Harmanpreet's, ex-teammate, weighs-in on World Cup win, recalls 'ladkiyon ne kuch jeeta hai?' taunts

India’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 (AFP Photo)

Harmanpreet Kaur posted a quiet yet impactful statement on social media the day following India's historic Women's World Cup victory in Navi Mumbai. At first look, the Indian captain appeared to have just followed the worldwide "morning-after" post win trend. However, it was the words on her T-shirt that took center stage: "Cricket is a gentleman's EVERYONE'S game," with the word "gentleman's" struck out.

This remark encapsulated the progress made by Indian women's cricket and Punam Raut, who scored 86 off 115 in India's losing cause at the 2017 Women's World Cup final against England, wholeheartedly concurs.

There was more to Sunday's World Cup victory at the DY Patil Stadium than just a trophy. It echoed the words of earlier generations that endured years of hardship, little hope, and innumerable heartbreaks while fighting for identity and recognition in India's cricket ecosystem, dominated by men's.

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Speaking to Times of India, Raut recalled how the public reacted harshly to the defeat. "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?)

Three players from the 2017 squad were playing in the 2025 edition — Deepti Sharma, Smriti Mandhana, and Harmanpreet Kaur — all of whom flawlessly fulfilled a billion dreams, even if Raut is no longer considered for a spot in the Indian squad. The World Cup victory, in Raut's opinion, was the perfect response to everyone who had previously made fun of 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.’"

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Raut went on to say that after years of suffering, India's victory on Sunday allowed her to finally put the 2017 defeat behind her and convert it into a source of 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.