India Women’s Cricket skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s long wait finally ended on Sunday night when the country lifted its first-ever ICC Cricket World Cup, defeating South Africa by 52 runs in front of a raucous crowd in Navi Mumbai.

For the 36-year-old captain, who had endured four previous World Cups without success, the moment was both surreal and overwhelming.

“I’m numb, I’m not able to understand,” Harmanpreet said after the win, ICC reported. “There were ups and downs, but the team always had self-belief. We weren’t looking to the left or right, only at our end goal.”

It was the culmination of a 16-year journey for Harmanpreet, who made her World Cup debut in 2009 as a teenager under Jhulan Goswami’s leadership.

Since then, she has seen India reached semifinals and even lost to England in the 2017 final.

This time, on home soil, there was no denying her.

India clinches first Women’s Cricket World Cup with win over South Africa

After the final, Harmanpreet was joined by former greats Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra — teammates from her early years — in emotional celebrations that brought together generations of Indian women’s cricket.

“Jhulan di was my biggest support,” she said. “She led by example when I was raw and new. Sharing this moment with her and Anjum di means everything.”

Smriti Mandhana, who has shared several campaigns with Harmanpreet, also embraced her skipper after the win.

“We’ve gone home heartbroken many times,” Harmanpreet reflected. “But this time, we said we wouldn’t leave it behind.”