ODI Women's World Cup 2025: Neetu David credits senior players for iconic triumph

04 November,2025 05:37 PM IST |  New Delhi  |  PTI

“This team was criticised a lot. But the senior players played a major role in keeping the unit together, said Neetu David

Neetu David. Pic/Shadab Khan


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Neetu David, the chief selector who picked India's victorious World Cup squad, reckons the team's senior players - skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues - played a major role in keeping the team together despite trials and tribulations during tournament and even in the build-up to it.

India had suffered three defeats in the group stage - to Australia, England and South Africa - but they managed to bounce back and go the distance, and the reason behind that was the dressing room atmosphere created by the senior players, along with head coach Amol Muzumdar, says David. "This team was criticised a lot. But the senior players played a major role in keeping the unit together," she said.

Going on to elaborate her point, David added: "When Muzumdar came as head coach [in October 2023], They took team bonding took the next level and found a perfect blend of seniors and juniors, reminding me of Sourav Ganguly's days as captain when he blooded in the youngsters and backed them to the hilt."

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