Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami - pioneers of Indian women's cricket - join trophy celebrations with Harmanpreet and Co.

Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami - pioneers of Indian women's cricket - join trophy celebrations with Harmanpreet and Co.

A moment resonated with almost every cricket fan as the Indian women's cricket team scripted history in Navi Mumbai on Sunday night. As Harmanpreet Kaur-led unit became the world champions and broke out in wild celebrations, the team ensured the ones who laid the foundation were not forgotten.

The jubilant team graciously handed over the trophy to former India cricketers and icons Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra. Every one among the three had their share of role to play in helping India reach here.

A moment for the history books. #MithaliRaj celebrates with the World Champions Team India! pic.twitter.com/Ljn1sjYfWW

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— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 2, 2025

Anjum was part of the 2005 Women's World Cup final when India came tantalisingly close to the silver but had to be content with the runners-up position. Mithali and Jhulan were also part of the batch, that endured a 98-run heartbreak against Australia in the final.

Then came the 2017 World Cup final, when India once again failed to cross the line despite reaching the final. By this time Anjum had retired but Mithali and Jhulan remained an integral part of the team also featuring the recently crowned world champions Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet, and Deepti Sharma.

Now as India won the title, that too in front of home crowd, it was only fitting to see the three beacons of women's cricket in India get their dues paid and celebrate the moment with girls, who they once nurtured.

Glad to see Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Anjum Chopra celebrating with the group and all the earlier Indian women captains, pioneers, and icons invited to the match pic.twitter.com/4SNHkby2hi

— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) November 2, 2025

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Kaur revealed what it was like sharing the gold with India's biggest stalwarts.

"Jhulan Di was my biggest support. When I joined the team, she was leading it. She always supported me in my early days when I was very raw and didn't know much about cricket. I used to play with boys, and the school principal picked me up, and within a year, I started representing the country. In the initial days, Anjum (Chopra) provided me with a lot of support. I always remember how she used to take me along with her team. I learnt a lot from her and passed it on to my team. Both of them have been a great support for me. I am very grateful that I got to share a special moment with them. It was a very emotional moment. I think we all were waiting for this. Finally, we were able to touch this trophy," she said.