‘They proved sport doesn’t only belong to men’: Binny and Chipli laud India for winning Women’s ODI WC

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Stuart Binny and ex-Karnataka batter Bharat Chipli have lauded the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side for winning the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, saying that the entire side are now major inspirational figures in the country and they proved to a lot of people that the sport doesn’t only belong to men.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side lifted the trophy for the first time after beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final held at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Since then, the side has been in New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.

“Look, I can’t tell you how proud I am for that Indian team. I think my heart and my whole happiness and joy goes to that whole women’s setup. What they did, they proved to a lot of people that the sport doesn’t only belong to men.

“It’s a place where people can go and express how good they are. That whole team have made, not only me but all of us who play the sport for our countries or even for our clubs or wherever we are, very proud. It’s an inspiration to see those women play like that, and we’re so happy that India have won that World Cup,” said Binny in an exclusive interaction with IANS, ahead of the upcoming Hong Kong Sixes tournament.

Chipli credited the ecosystem built around women’s cricket – including the Women’s Premier League (WPL) – for shaping the team’s success in the mega event. “I have to give credit to the BCCI, ICC, and WPL for coming up. Just like the IPL, a lot of cricketers play with top players of the world. You get to learn a lot.

“All these has shaped up to win this tournament. It’s like the first time women’s cricket have won the World Cup. It’s like 1983 — so, they’ve inspired millions of people. Hopefully, millions of girls to take up the sport in India, and cricket is going to grow bigger and bigger for the women,” he said. IANS

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