Harmanpreet Kaur’s Team India faces South Africa in the Women’s World Cup final, eyeing their maiden title after bouncing back from three straight losses. A massive INR 125 crore BCCI reward awaits the Women in Blue if they triumph on home soil.
Team India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is just a win away from realizing their dream of winning the Women’s World Cup triumph when they take on South Africa in the much-anticipated title clash at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2.
The Women in Blue made it to their third World Cup final after defeating the defending champions, Australia, in the semifinal in Navi Mumbai. Team India had a rocky journey to the Women’s World Cup final, having lost three successive matches on the trot before sealing the semifinal berth with a crucial victory over New Zealand, but the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side showed tremendous character to bounce back when it mattered, turning their campaign around just in time to secure a spot in the Grand Finale.
India will look to remove the stains of their past heartbreaks in the 2005 and 2017 finals and script their maiden Women’s World Cup triumph on home soil.
125 Crore Jackpot for Women in Blue
As Team India is yet to take the field for the all-important final, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly announced a massive cash reward for the Women in Blue if they end their long-awaited dream of clinching the coveted trophy.
According to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the board is planning to give the cash reward to the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, matching that of the men’s team, if they go on to win their maiden title in Navi Mumbai. When the Men in Blue clinched the T20 World Cup triumph last year, the BCCI announced a massive cash reward of INR 125 crore, which is six times more than the winning cash prize of INR 20.42 crore.
Similarly, the BCCI is reportedly lining up INR 125 crore for the women’s team if they are crowned champions. The board’s proposed reward for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team is even higher than the total Women’s World Cup prize pool of INR 116 crore.
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If India win the final against South Africa, they will take home the cash reward of $4.48 million (Rs. 39.55 crore approx.) from the ICC, in addition to the proposed INR 125 crore bonus from the BCCI, making it the biggest-ever payday in the history of women’s cricket.
Team India’s Road to Final
At the start of the Women’s World Cup, Team India has been touted as one of the favourites to win the title, giving the home advantage, crowd support, and the experienced core led by Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. The Women in Blue had a brilliant start to their maiden title quest with successive wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
However, their campaign took a hit when they suffered three successive losses against South Africa, Australia, and England, putting them on the brink of an early exit from the tournament. The Women in Blue made a remarkable comeback in a crucial clash against New Zealand, securing their spot in the semifinal. Team India’s final league match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain in Navi Mumbai.
Ahead of the semifinal clash against Australia, India received a major blow as Pratika Rawal was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to ankle and knee injuries sustained during the Bangladesh match. Shafali Verma was drafted as her replacement for the semifnal and final. Despite the setback, the team rallied together, with Jemimah Rodrigues rising to the occasion with an unbeaten century and Harmanpreet Kaur’s captain’s innings to guide India to a record-breaking run chase against Australia, sealing their place in an emphatic fashion.
Now, Team India has inched closer to fulfilling their long-cherished dream of winning the Women’s ODI World Cup triumph.