The Indian Women’s Cricket team’s World Cup-winning journey is nothing short of inspirational. It is a story for the ages, one that is replete with moments of motivation, courage, grit, determination, and last but not least, a never-give-up attitude. All of these qualities aren’t just important for an MBA student but for everyone in life. What’s especially important to MBA aspirants is how right leadership and management can transform even the down-and-out teams into champion ones.
India had lost 3 back-to-back matches in the group stages against South Africa, Australia, and England, respectively. They were, despite being the host nation, on the verge of being eliminated before the semi-finals. One more loss from New Zealand could’ve potentially meant a precarious situation for India. They were hanging by a thread. From there, India managed to secure a comfortable win, had their game against Bangladesh washed away, and booked their spot in the semi-final as the 4th team in the table. Opposing them were the indomitable, invincible, and literally unbeaten (until then) Australians.
What followed next was a fairytale story and ending for Team India. But behind every fairytale ending lies a story that’s worth sharing and telling people because it will impact millions. This is where somebody looking to be a good manager and an impactful leader in their line of work can take a lot of heart from. It’s not just about grit, determination, and courage, but also self-belief and trusting the process.
Here are some of the Marketing, Leadership, and Management lessons MBA students can take from India’s win at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025:
1. When the going gets tough, stick to the process
India were on the verge of elimination at one stage, and given that they were the host nation and one of the hot favorites to reach the semi-finals, the criticism they were facing was insurmountable. But they didn’t panic and stuck to their process. They didn’t change their plans overnight in panic, nor did they force a lot of changes. But instead, they kept their cool, stayed together as a unit, reviewed their plans, and trusted their process.
In the end, the rewards were there for them to reap and the results for everyone to see. India beat the indomitable Australia by 5 wickets in the semi-finals and South Africa by 52 runs in the final. This is an incredible lesson to learn for all MBA aspirants, since there will be moments when they will face the heat and feel like their dream is slipping away from their hands. You might start doubting our process and start reevaluating whether you were right in the first place.
In that time, it is extremely important to speak to someone you trust, keep your cool, and do the same thing again in your same process. The results will inevitably come.
2. Learn how to keep your Nerves in the Most High-Pressure Situations
Even though India beat Australia in the semi-finals to reach the finals, it wasn’t by any measure an easy match to win. It was never going to be an easy measure, but the pressure that was built on India during the chase was incredible. Requiring to chase 340, a record chase in women’s ODIs, that too in a semi-final of a World Cup, and against a powerful opposition like Australia, it’s almost unthinkable. And it looked like it was going to be that way when India were 59-2, when captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Player of the Match Jemimah Rodrigues steadied the ship.
Both of them kept their nerves and took India to a comfortable space before India could seal the win. Keeping yourself calm and holding your nerves is very important in crunch situations. For an MBA graduate, there will come many such moments in life where the situations get tight and there is no way out except going up and bursting through. In that moment, that is exactly what they are required to do.
3. Learn from your Mistakes to Improve Yourself
India’s win at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, although unexpected at the end, wasn’t entirely out of proportion; it wasn’t a shot in the dark. It was, indeed, a long time coming. At the 2017 World Cup, India were inches away from lifting the trophy for the first time. They needed about 38 runs to chase England’s total of 228 with 7 wickets in hand and 44 balls remaining. What followed was a monumental collapse.
India lost their last 7 wickets for 28 runs and lost the final to England by 9 runs. It was an implosion under extreme duress and nothing else. To take that match and compare it with the India vs Australia semi-final in 2025, there is a stark contrast. One might say that India learned to handle pressure much better after that heartbreaking loss in 2017. This was a classic example of learning from your mistakes and never repeating them. Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues learned what to do during extremely pressure situations and secured victory from the jaws of defeat.
This lesson, although Universal, should be imperative for every MBA professional to learn. There will be moments when they will fumble on stage, they might even make presentation errors, and feel the pressure of hundreds of people watching during some large gathering, and panic. In all of those moments, failing once is fine. But what they must learn is what made them overcome it in the first place. Then they won’t repeat the pattern, and that will be the beginning of their rise.
4. Unity and Camaraderie Within a Team are Very Important for Success
Often, the team that ends up winning a title trophy is also the happiest camp in that tournament. The players usually gel well with each other; their bond is really good; there is an unsaid unity and camaraderie within the side. You can see players celebrate and rejoice in each other’s personal achievements and little moments.
This way, the one person’s happiness becomes the team’s happiness. That actually boosts morale and often ends up in flourishing results. The same applies to management professionals. More often than not, they will be working in teams or groups of multiple people.
There will be a Team Lead, and others will follow his/her lead. So, while the process remains professional, it becomes extremely important for every member of the group to bond with each other. It builds trust, it develops relations, and it helps them perform better within a team. Complementing each other during that whole process is also critical to success.
5. Take Risks and Enjoy the Process
In the final match against South Africa, during a very critical moment in the second innings, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made an inspiring change that was nothing short of brilliant. Just as South Africa was gaining momentum and finding rhythm in the game, inching closer to the Indian target, Harmanpreet Kaur threw the ball to Shafali Verma, a part-time off-spinner. And as brilliant leaders often find themselves to be right, so did Harmanpreet Kaur.
Verma picked up the important wicket of Sune Luus, followed by Marizanne Kapp, and the game turned on its head. That was a risk taken by Kaur, which could’ve also backfired. But such is the intuition of great leaders that they often take risks in important moments. And with enough conviction and confidence, it does pay off. It is nothing different for a leader in management. Sometimes, they would need to swim against the current and still reach the shore. They might need to argue with their bosses, make important decisions on their own, and still find a way to fetch results.
In the meantime, while all of this is happening and life can get pretty tough, it is all the more important not to stop having fun. Be it playing cricket on the field or brainstorming a new plan or proposal with the team, one should never stop having fun.
