Two years since the November night that shattered billion dreams:How fans lived through 2023 agony to experience Women’s World Cup joy in November 2025

Some nights stay with you forever, some for heartbreaks, others for ecstatic joy. On 19 November 2023, exactly two years ago, India’s men’s team came agonisingly close to World Cup glory, only to see their dreams slip away in front of a home crowd. Two years later, on November 2, 2025, the women’s team lifted their first-ever World Cup on home soil, defying the odds and rewriting history. Cricket and sport, much like life, it seems, can break hearts and inspire hope in equal measure. Areeb Siddiqui, homepage editor at Bhaskar English, recalls: “It (19 November, 2023) was meant to be our day. The team felt so special, led by an inspirational captain and coach. Then the wickets began to fall and worry set in. Travis Head never stopped and the miracle I prayed for never came. Watching my heroes struggle to hold back emotions in defeat, it was hard not to cry.” 2023 Men’s World Cup: Dream shattered in the final Rohit Sharma’s men had been near-invincible, winning every group-stage match, including a commanding victory over Australia. But the final proved cruel and fans experienced the heartbreak as if it were their own. Swadhin Patel, now part of Bhaskar English’s global desk, had taken a day off imagining the celebrations that never came. “When Rohit walked off holding back tears, it felt like a punch to the gut,” he says. Saurabh Rai, currently a product manager at Bhaskar English, tried to keep up with office work while following updates, watching the dream slip away as Maxwell hit the winning runs. Aziz Cutleriwala, who is our Ahmedabad reporter, was at the venue. He left the stadium after Travis Head’s century, calling it a calamity, describing it as “one of India’s best ODI teams suffering such a defeat.” Vartika Chaturvedi, now part of the local desk here at Bhaskar English, remembers watching the 2023 family with her family, tears in her eyes, the heavy silence that followed a collapse no one expected after a flawless campaign. Potluri Rakshit Keshav, a cricket fan based in Mumbai, was on a flight from Austria, feeling the sting of disbelief. “Australia didn’t just have a good day- they made it great,” he says. The heartbreak was collective, felt across cities, countries and newsrooms, a stark reminder of cricket’s unpredictability and its uncanny ability to mirror life. “It’s two years and we are still talking about it despite three ICC trophy wins (Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup) since then tells you what impact it had on us,” Akriti Saxena, a member of the global desk, mentions. 2025 Women’s World Cup: Against all odds, history made Two years later, the narrative shifted. The Indian women’s team, after three consecutive losses early in the tournament, fought their way back to the final. This time, the emotional rollercoaster had a happier ending. Juggling between shifts, Vartika woke late that night to catch the final moments, witnessing Harmanpreet Kaur’s winning catch. “Literal goosebumps! I was so proud of the team and the immense hard work they put in,” she says. Saurabh followed the match from his room, tracking every heartbeat, Smriti and Shafali stitching a brilliant partnership, Amanjot’s juggling catch and the final wicket celebration. Aziz soaked in the historic moment. Aryatirtha Ganguly, who writes on sports at Bhaskar English, had followed the team over the years. He reflected on decades of legends like Mithali and Jhulan paving the way for this victory. Rakshit, who was watching from India this time, lived every tense moment as South Africa threatened a last-minute upset. “Laura Wolvaardt nearly made me forget who I was cheering for,” he recalls. But Amanjot’s catch and Harmanpreet’s final wicket brought joy that matched, and perhaps surpassed, the heartbreak of 2023. “None of us had the appetite for dinner after seeing Travis Head do what he does best. But those scars heal, the T20 World Cup 2024 gave us something to celebrate and then the Women’s World Cup happened. Life comes full circle,” Amrit Santlani, who is leading the sports vertical at Bhaskar English, shares. However, for some fans, the wounds have not healed. Perhaps, in a tribute to Percy Bysshe Shelley, Swadhin says, “But I have realised happiness fades faster than heartbreak” echoing the English poet’s iconic line- “Our sweetest songs are of the saddest thoughts.” The women’s victory was a triumph forged through resilience, a story that made the men’s 2023 heartbreak feel like a prelude to something greater. The Rohit Sharma story: Heartbreak, legacy and transition Even as the women celebrated, Rohit Sharma’s 2023 heartbreak remains personal. With Shubman Gill now leading the men’s team, even if Rohit plays the next World Cup, it will be as a senior batter, not captain. Krishna Shukla, the newest member of the sports desk at Bhaskar English, wonders if there will be “an apt farewell to cricketing legends like Rohit and Virat Kohli” with the Men in Blue going on to win the 2027 ODI World Cup. Timing and fortune, more than skill, can define careers and such moments. Sport mirrors life- unpredictable, often unfair, yet unforgettable. When cricket mirrors life New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham’s words capture the bittersweet reality: “Kids, don’t take up sport. Take up baking or something. Die at 60 really fat and happy.” Neesham had posted this on social media right after New Zealand lost the 2019 World Cup final due to a bizarre boundary-count rule, despite scoring the same number of runs as England. Even flawless campaigns can be undone by a single moment, a dropped catch, a missed run, or a boundary at the wrong time. Yet, it is this unpredictability that makes triumph sweeter and heartbreaks unforgettable. Rohit’s men, despite their loss, remain legends of their era, while the women’s historic victory reminds us that perseverance, courage and belief can turn despair into glory. Two Novembers, two distinct emotions, two contrasting campaigns Two home World Cups. Two finals, in two Novembers, one in 2023, the other in 2025. One heartbreak that still stings or as local desk’s Tannu Kumari describes as “numbing”, the other a triumph that inspires. Cricket, like life, teaches resilience, patience and hope. As India enter a new era under Shubman Gill, and the women’s team cements its place in history, these two Novembers remind us why we love the game- for every heartbreak, there is hope; for every loss, a chance at history, for every November 19, there is perhaps a November 2, for every 10-match winning streak that ends in a heart-wrenching loss in the final, there is a scracthy run up to the semi-final resulting in an unprecedented title win. For every tear of agony, there is a tear of joy somewhere in the making.