Watch- Harmanpreet Kaur throws Head Coach Amol Muzumdar under the bus on LIVE TV, coach embarrassed

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur credited the team’s victory over Australia in the Women's World Cup 2025 semifinal to an aggressive dressing-room pep talk from head coach Amol Muzumdar. Harmanpreet said that Muzumdar had urged the players to take responsibility after the loss against England in the group stage.

India had suffered a defeat to England despite being in control of the run chase. The team needed only 55 runs from 52 balls in a 289-run chase, but failed to do so. They came under intense scrutiny, which forced the team to reassess its approach.

With their semifinal hopes in jeopardy, India needed to beat New Zealand to stay alive in the tournament. They delivered when it mattered, and that crucial win gave them the momentum ahead of the knockout stages.

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Amol Muzumdar Always Speaks from the Heart - Harmanpreet Kaur

Speaking to Star Sports after the semi-final win, Harmanpreet Kaur said that Amol Muzumdar’s words after the England defeat became the turning point of their campaign. Harmanpreet noted that the squad accepted his criticism in the right spirit.

"I didn't speak a word after that match (vs England) because he was the one speaking — 'You should’ve saved the match' (mimicking Muzumdar). Everybody took that in good spirit. We all believe whatever sir says because he always speaks from the heart," Harmanpreet Kaur said.

"After that, I spoke to all the players because I wanted to see what they were feeling, as sir is expecting the right things from us. That’s also what the entire country expects from us. Everybody took it positively, and today (vs Australia) you can see that in the way everyone played," she added.

How did #TeamIndia make a comeback after three losses in a row? Now we know the answer! 😁

WATCH #CWC25 FINAL 👉 #SAvIND | Sun, 2nd Nov, 2 PM! pic.twitter.com/Ou5TNVEhoA

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 30, 2025

I Did Say a Few Things in the Dressing Room - Amol Muzumdar

Amol Muzumdar, who was present during the interview, stated that he wanted to motivate the players after the England loss. Muzumdar said that the message was delivered in good spirit and to push the group in the right direction.

"We just had a little bit of a chat with the players... I did say a few things in the dressing room. But it was in good spirit," he said.

India showed an improved batting display in the semifinal. Jemimah Rodrigues scored a century, and Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh chipped in with valuable runs to keep the team in the match. Amanjot Kaur finished the job in style with a boundary off Sophie Molineux.

India to Face South Africa in Final on Sunday in Navi Mumbai

India will face South Africa in the final on November 2 in Navi Mumbai. The Proteas women defeated England by 100 runs in the first semi-final clash.

Earlier, Australian captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and elected to bat first. Phoebe Litchfield was the top scorer for the team with 119, while Ellyse Perry (77) and Ashleigh Gardner (63) smashed half-centuries to help the Women in Yellow reach 338.

Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur added a 167-run stand. Rodrigues scored an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls with 14 boundaries. The hosts completed the run chase with nine balls remaining, ending Australia’s title defence and booking their spot in the final.

Also read: Next Asia Cup schedule announced, Inda-Pakistan in same group