Indian cricket star Harmanpreet Kaur has lived the highs and lows of India’s women’s cricket. Now, with a World Cup on home soil less than two months away, she’s hoping the story finally ends with a trophy.

“Playing in front of a home crowd is always special,” the India captain said on Monday during the tournament’s 50-day countdown launch, the Indian media reported.

“Hopefully this time we’ll give our 100 per cent and finally break the barrier that all Indian fans have been waiting for,” the star added.

India have come close before — runners-up in 2005, third in 2009, and heartbreakingly short in 2017, when they lost the Lord’s final to England despite Harmanpreet’s stunning 171 in the semifinal.

“At the time I didn’t fully realise what had happened,” she said, recalling the reception when the beaten squad returned home. “The number of people waiting and cheering was truly remarkable.”

The launch in Mumbai featured ICC chairman Jay Shah, who called the event “a defining moment” for the women’s game, alongside stars Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues.

Shah said the return of the tournament to India was an opportunity to grow the sport’s reach and profile.

The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup begins September 30, with matches in Vizag, Indore, Guwahati, Colombo and Bengaluru. The Chinnaswamy Stadium is slated to host the opener between India and Sri Lanka, plus a semifinal and — if Pakistan fail to qualify — the November 2 final.