Amol Muzumdar spent his playing years waiting for a moment that never arrived. Today, he stands at the centre of the greatest moment in Indian women’s cricket history, the coach who guided India to their first ever ICC Women’s World Cup title.
More than 11,000 first-class runs, 30 centuries, the heartbeat of Mumbai cricket, yet the India cap never came. The domestic career of Amol Muzumdar remains one of the most extraordinary chapters in Indian cricket.
Muzumdar scored 11,167 first-class runs at an average of 48.13, dominated the Ranji Trophy for nearly two decades and was once hailed as the next Tendulkar. But fate had other plans.
When Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli stitched their famous 664-run stand in school cricket and became national sensations overnight, Muzumdar sat padded up, waiting to bat. That wait symbolised his journey. The world celebrated others while he learned to stay patient and keep faith.
Fast forward to November 2, 2025. The DY Patil Stadium roared, confetti filled the sky and India lifted its maiden Women’s World Cup trophy. In that moment, the spotlight finally turned towards the man who had spent a lifetime working in silence.
Social media erupted with tributes, and comparisons to Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic Kabir Khan from Chak De India came pouring in. Both stories shared the same soul. A man once overlooked, once doubted, returned not to prove himself, but to lift a team to glory and rewrite history from the sidelines.
Muzumdar’s coaching story did not start with glory. When he took charge in October 2023, the Indian women’s team stood at a crossroads. Legends like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami had just retired, the team had endured leadership confusion, and a disappointing exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup raised questions.
But Amol Muzumdar did not react loudly. He rebuilt quietly. He focused on roles, discipline, clarity and belief. He demanded accountability and instilled confidence without raising his voice. Harmanpreet Kaur described him as aggressive in a good way, a coach who pushed the team with conviction and heart, not pressure and panic.
This World Cup campaign was not smooth. India lost group stage matches to Australia, England and South Africa. Doubts rose, critics sharpened their voices and whispers of another heartbreak emerged. But Muzumdar stayed calm.
His message remained simple: we just need one more run than them. It was not strategy on paper, it was belief. That simple line became the backbone of India’s historic semifinal, where they chased 339 against Australia with courage and clarity. It became the heartbeat again in the tense final against South Africa, where composure under pressure carried India to the ultimate prize.
For every player, roles were crystal clear. There was no chaos, no panic, no searching for answers in a crisis. Muzumdar had built a dressing room where trust stood taller than fear. India did not just improve their cricket under him. They found their personality. Resilient. Fearless. United.
In the end, cricket worked in poetic symmetry. A man who never got to walk out in India colours got to lead India to the greatest colour of all: gold. His greatness, once measured in runs that never got rewarded, is now measured in belief that turned into history. Amol Muzumdar may not have played for India, but he made India play like champions.
Some careers are defined by numbers. Some by moments. He is defined by destiny. A fairytale delayed, never denied. A forgotten domestic giant who rose again, not with a bat in hand but with a dream. Indian cricket will remember this night, this team and this coach forever.
