India and South Africa will square off in the Women's World Cup final in Mumbai on Sunday.
The Indian women's cricket team is on the verge of scripting history as they take on South Africa in the final of the Women's World Cup 2025 at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday (November 2).
On the eve of the title clash, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has urged the fans not to compare the women’s team’s exploits and a potential win to his team’s triumph in England, 42 years ago.
There has been discussion over whether a victory for India over South Africa could spark a similar revolution to the women’s game in India, like the World Cup victory in 1983 did.
“A lot of people compare them to ‘83, and I don’t want there to ever be a comparison. These girls are very good, very smart and the way they played cricket, it felt like they took the level of cricket to the next level,” Kapil told Star Sports in a video.
The 66-year-old lauded skipper Harmanpreet Singh for her batting exploits and expressed his wish to see an even better performance in the final.
India pulled off the biggest run chase in the history of women’s cricket during the semi-final clash against seven-time champions Australia on Thursday (October 30).
The Women in Blue were set a daunting 339-run target but thanks to Jemimah Rodrigues’ maiden World Cup century (127* off 134 balls) and Harmanpreet’s 89 off 88 balls, the hosts overhauled the target with five wickets in hand and nine deliveries to spare.
“The way the captain played cricket is of a different level, and I would like that tomorrow’s final should be better than this. I can understand that you want to win to a certain extent, but what kind of cricket you play should be discussed more,” Kapil remarked.
Kapil Dev urged the Indian side to put on a good show in all three departments in the summit clash on Sunday.
“If they win, there will be even more happiness, but they should play good cricket. The way they have played, it will be even better,” he concluded.