India coach Amol Muzumdar celebrates after winning the ICC Women’s World Cup
Under the floodlights of DY Patil Stadium, history was written — not just by the Indian women’s cricket team, but by a man who had waited a lifetime for this moment.
As India lifted their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, one quiet figure in the dugout finally stepped out of the shadows he had lived in for decades.
Amol Muzumdar — the eternal “next man in” — had finally arrived.
More than three decades ago, at the fabled Shardashram English School in Mumbai, a young right-hander sat padded up as Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli batted on and on, stitching together their world-record 664-run partnership.
Muzumdar never got to face a single ball that day. That moment became a metaphor for his life — always waiting for his turn, always ready, yet never called to the crease of destiny.
Run Machine
He did everything a cricketer could. A sparkling 260 not out on Ranji debut for Mumbai. More than 11,000 first-class runs at an average of nearly 50.
Leadership of Mumbai, and later stints with Assam and Andhra.
He shared dressing rooms with Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, but the India cap — that ultimate dream — never came.
And yet, Muzumdar never complained. Not when selectors looked past him. Not when politics in Mumbai’s cricket circles clipped his wings. Not even when critics questioned his appointment as the head coach of the Indian women’s team in 2023 — “How can someone who never played for India coach those who have?” they asked.
Muzumdar, calm as ever, said nothing. He let the silence bat for him.
Final Victory
Last night, silence roared. As Harmanpreet Kaur touched his feet and hugged him, Muzumdar’s eyes brimmed with tears. The flag of India fluttered in his hands as the women he had mentored danced in triumph. The stadium echoed with chants of victory — but his victory was deeply personal, achingly poetic.
For years, he had been the man left padded up. On Sunday night, he finally walked in — not to bat, but to embrace the moment that had eluded him all his life.
A week before his 51st birthday, Amol Muzumdar’s innings finally began. And this one — this glorious, tear-streaked, tricolour-draped innings — is bound to be unforgettable.
Published on November 3, 2025