Former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has sent a cautious warning to the India Women's World Cup-winning team. The Women in Blue, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, ended a long-awaited dream of lifting the coveted trophy by defeating first-time finalists South Africa in the high–stakes final at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2.

India registered a 52-run victory over South Africa, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur taking the match-winning catch of Nadine de Klerk to seal the Women in Blue's historic maiden World Cup triumph. India became the fourth team after Australia, England, and New Zealand to win the prestigious women's title, ending a 45-year wait for a World Cup victory and earning their place among the elite.

Following India's historic Women's World Cup triumph, players have been flooded with brand endorsements and sponsorship offers, with several companies eager to associate with the newly crowned champions and capitalizing on their popularity and global recognition.

Gavaskar Cautions False Promises by Brands

As Team India players enjoy their success following the historic World Cup triumph, Sunil Gavaskar has cautioned the winners not to expect all promises from brands, as many seek publicity and visibility rather than genuinely rewarding the players.

“Just a word of caution to the girls. Please don't get disappointed if some of the promised awards don't come to you. In India, advertisers, and brands and individuals are quick to jump on the bandwagon and try and get free publicity for themselves on the shoulders of the winners,” the 1983 World Cup winner wrote in his Mid-Day Column.

“Have a look at the full-page advertising and hoardings congratulating the team. Unless they are team and individual players' sponsors, the rest are only trying to promote their brands or themselves and giving nothing to the ones who have brought glory to Indian cricket," he added.

It was a moment of pride to meet Smt Droupadi Murmu ji, Honourable President of India, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. We thank the Honourable President for inviting the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup-winning squad and inspiring #TeamIndia with her words of encouragement and support... twitter/wG32vqoKf5

- BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) November 6, 2025

Following the Indian Women's World Cup triumph, the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and others have already seen their brand value rise from 25% to 100%, with brand value and commercial interest surging notably. This reflects the commercial appeal of the players and how their World Cup triumph significantly boosted their visibility and endorsement opportunities.

Gavaskar Warning Stems from Personal Experience

Following India's historic 1983 World Cup triumph, in which Sunil Gavaskar was a part, the players received global recognition as the Kapil Dev-led side captured the imagination of the nation while putting Indian cricket on the global map. However, according to Gavaskar, brands made a lot of promises to the winning team, but nothing materialized.

However, the former India captain was content with the love and appreciation the team received publicly following history at Lord's.

“The 1983 team also were made many promises with loads of coverage in the media then. Almost all never materialised. The media can't be blamed as they were happy to carry the lofty announcements, not realising that they also were being used by these shameless people.” Gavaskar wrote.

“So girls, don't fret if these shameless ones are using your win to promote themselves," he added.

Sunil Gavaskar's warning is a reminder to the Indian Women's World Cup winners to stay grounded, be cautious of empty promises, and focus on their game and genuine opportunities rather than getting distracted by brands seeking publicity.

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