At the NDTV Indian of the Year 2025 awards, held in New Delhi on December 19, 2025, the Indian Women's Cricket Team was awarded the 'Sports Performance of the Year'. The team was recognized for their historic victory at the ICC ODI World Cup, where they defeated South Africa in the final. This win marked India's first World Cup title in any format of the women's game.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, along with teammates Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma, and head coach Amol Muzumdar, were present to accept the award. During the event, Jemimah Rodrigues shared her insights on what distinguishes Harmanpreet Kaur as a leader.
Rodrigues highlighted Kaur's composed demeanor, stating, "Harmanpreet has never shouted at me for dropping a catch. It's a personality on the field that sets her different. She doesn't carry the on-field aggression off the field". This perspective underscores Kaur's ability to maintain a positive and supportive environment within the team, even in high-pressure situations.
Kaur expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to lead the Indian Women's team and acknowledged the hard work put in by the team to make the country proud. "Worked hard to make country proud. I love playing for India and with my teammates," she added.
Coach Amol Muzumdar praised the team's discipline, big dreams, and resilience, which he believes were instrumental in their World Cup victory. He specifically pointed to the semi-final match against Australia as an example of these qualities. Muzumdar said, "They are a disciplined bunch. It was a great opportunity presented two years ago. They dreamt big and had the resilience needed and it showed as they came back from three defeats. The semifinal match versus Australia showed all three qualities - discipline, dreaming big and resilience".
ICC Chairman Jay Shah also lauded the team's efforts and dedicated his "Transformational Leader of the Year" award to the team. Shah said he told the coach that the team would win the 2025 Women's World Cup after they lost the 2023 T20 World Cup semi-final.
The NDTV Indian of the Year 2025 event celebrated individuals and institutions that have significantly impacted India. The theme for this year's edition was "Ideas. Inspiration. Impact". The event covered 14 categories, including business leadership, innovation, philanthropy, governance, sports, entertainment, culture, and science. The event was attended by prominent figures from various fields, including Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, Sridhar Vembu, Sunil Vachani, and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla.
