Cricket legends react: Tendulkar, Ganguly, De Villiers hail India's ‘fabulous’ World Cup Semifinal win
Mumbai: India's spectacular victory over Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 semifinal has ignited a wave of celebration and applause across the cricket world. The historic chase of 339 runs, led by Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127 and captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s vital 89, marked a defining moment for Indian women’s cricket as they advanced to the final against South Africa.
Legendary cricketers and prominent players took to social media to laud the Women in Blue for their resilient performance and game-changing efforts. Sachin Tendulkar hailed the “fabulous victory,” applauding Jemimah and Harmanpreet for their leadership on the field, while praising bowlers Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma for keeping the game alive during the crucial moments.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly highlighted the team’s phenomenal growth over the past five years, calling their performance “incredible” and encouraging them to clinch the title in the final. AB de Villiers chimed in to congratulate Team India for ending Australia’s dominant win streak, predicting a thrilling final showdown with South Africa that would crown a new champion.
Gautam Gambhir joined the chorus of praise, sharing his admiration on social media: “It ain’t over till it’s over! What a performance girls,” summarizing the never-say-die spirit of the team.
Yuvraj Singh echoed the sentiment, describing the triumph as a win that transcends the numbers on the scoreboard. He highlighted Harmanpreet’s calm leadership and Jemimah’s intent, pointing out that their partnership was built on belief and resilience—qualities emblematic of this historic semifinal victory.
Spin maestro R Ashwin focused his praise on Jemimah Rodrigues, lauding her journey from being left out of the squad earlier in the tournament to now playing a pivotal role in taking India to the finals. Dinesh Karthik echoed the admiration for Jemimah’s match-winning innings, emphasising the nation’s collective anticipation for the upcoming title clash.
This landmark win — one of the highest successful chases in Women’s World Cup history — positions India firmly as contenders for their first-ever title.