The Indian women’s cricket team scripted history on November 2 by clinching their first-ever ODI World Cup title after a nail-biting final against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Among the many proud faces celebrating the victory was actor and former cricketer Saiyami Kher, who shared an emotional post with the team on social media, capturing what the win meant for generations of women in sport.
Saiyami, who once represented Maharashtra as a fast bowler before turning to acting, described the triumph as personal. Reflecting on her journey with the game, she wrote, “As an 8-year old girl, I sat in front of the TV with my dad, watching the Master bat, and that’s where my love story with cricket began. I was obsessed and completely consumed. But in a world of boys with bats when I told the boys I want to play I was laughed at. Until I picked up the ball and bowled them out, one after another.”
She said, “Years later, in rooms full of men, when I spoke of cover drives and reverse swing, I saw that same smirk that silently said, oh what do you know about cricket. From there to what I witnessed last night, in a packed DY Patil Stadium. Chants for every girl in blue, tears in the eyes of those same grown up men who would smirk. Our girls wrote history not just for women’s cricket but for every woman who dared to dream, for every girl who picked up a bat when the world said No.”
The actor, who famously played a cricketer in the film Ghoomer (2023) alongside Abhishek Bachchan, added that watching the women lift the trophy at the same venue where she shot the movie felt like “life had come full circle.” She said, “Standing there, exactly where we shot Ghoomer watching our girls lift that trophy, it felt like life had come full circle. Our girls have shown us that the game belongs to everyone who loves it. Proud of our girls. Proud of the families who stood by them. Proud of the BCCI for believing. And grateful to Vijay Patil an incredible experience at DY Patil. Last night, the chaak De and maa tujhe salaam hit harder than any stadium because these songs, the chants they weren’t just for the team.. They were for every little girl who has said to herself “Someday, I’ll play too.”” Her post also resonated with fans across social media, who flooded the comments with heart emojis and messages like “What an emotion 🔥❤️.”
Saiyami’s tribute captured the sentiment of a moment that transcended sport — a reminder that the Indian women’s team’s victory wasn’t just about cricket, but about every little girl who ever picked up a bat.
