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5 eerie parallels between India's 1983 and 2025 World Cup campaigns: Signs history may finally repeat
In 1983, India shocked the cricket world by winning the World Cup under Kapil Dev. Now, Harmanpreet Kaur's team aims to replicate this feat in the 2025 final.
1983 was the year when cricket attained the status of a religion in India. Under the leadership of Kapil Dev, the Indian team stunned Clive Lloyd’s mighty West Indies and lifted the World Cup title for the first time.
Similar history beckons Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls. Women’s cricket has not yet attained the status in India that men’s cricket enjoys. There has been a curse with the team as they have missed out on major titles, losing crucial games. Harmanpreet and her team as the chance of ending the jinx and winning the first-ever Women’s World Cup for India when they take on South Africa in the final of the 2025 tournament at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium on November 2.
Here are some signs that indicate that this team might also end up winning its first-ever title on Sunday.
1. Underdogs who defied the script
No one gave Kapil Dev’s India a chance in 1983. The tournament favourites were the West Indies, reigning champions and cricket’s dominant force. Yet India delivered one of sports' greatest upsets, claiming the trophy at Lord’s.
Fast forward to 2025: India women entered the tournament with questions hanging over their performances in ICC tournaments, stumbled through the group stage, then caught fire in the knockouts. What seemed improbable became probable.
2. Lose to the Champions early, beat them when it matters
The narrative symmetry here is remarkable. In 1983, India lost to the West Indies by 66 runs at the Oval during the group stage before stunning them in the final. In 2025, India fell to the defending champions, Australia, in a nail-biter in Visakhapatnam, a three-wicket defeat with just one over remaining, only to demolish those same Australians in the semi-final. Both teams learned from early pain and delivered when the stakes were the highest.
3. One innings that changed everything
Every great tournament run has a turning point. For 1983, it was Kapil Dev’s 175 not out against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells, a rescue act that became legend. For 2025, it is the Jemimah Rodrigues’ 127 not out in the semi-final, anchoring a record chase of 339 against Australia. Both innings came under immense pressure, both were match-winning masterpieces, and both redefined what their teams believed possible.
4. Resilience after the wobble
Neither journey was linear. India’s 1983 campaign weathered setbacks before finding its rhythm and closing out the final. In 2025, India endured three consecutive defeats and teetered on elimination before beating New Zealand in a must-win match to snatch the last semi-final spot. That moment became their launchpad, and they have looked unstoppable since.
5. Slaying the era’s giant
In 1983, the West Indies had won the previous two World Cups and were considered invincible. Beating them was about more than silverware; it was about shifting cricket’s axis. In 2025, Australia have been the benchmark in women’s cricket, serial champions with an aura of inevitability. India’s semi-final echoed 1983: not just a win, but a statement that the older order could fall.
Does the trophy jinx end here?
India’s women haven’t won an ICC Trophy at the senior level. Harmanpreet’s team has borrowed the 1983 playbook: ignore the noise, peak at the right moment, and trust the impossible. One match remains. If history is any guide, the impossible is underway.
