CHENNAI: As Team India basked in the glory of its maiden Women’s World Cup triumph, a video by South African cricket writer Thanja Vuur (Cape_town_cricket_queen) congratulating Indian players and complimenting stars from men’s cricket and common public for supporting the team, and criticising South African male cricketers, has gone viral.

While many have suggested that the frenzy around the women’s team began only after their semi-final win over Australia, Thanja insisted otherwise. She pointed out that the nation’s faith and affection for its women cricketers ran much deeper, long before the finals in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

She noted how greats like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Rohit Sharma were all in the stands during the final to cheer the Women in Blue. “Who the hell showed up from South Africa,” Thanja asked. Questioning the absence of their former cricketers and even the Sports Minister, she wondered whether they deemed the match not ‘high-profile enough’ to warrant their presence.

“There was a difference today,” Thanja reflected. “Yes, India played brilliantly. But the people and the heroes in the stands carried them through. Imagine looking up and seeing Rohit, Sachin cheering you on — that’s the difference.”

She closed with a tribute that captures the spirit of the nation: “You, the people of India, live and breathe cricket, from the top to the bottom. You are the winners of this World Cup.”