How 10-Year-Old Mysha Shinde’s Words Fired Up India’s Spirit Before Semifinal Clash with Australia

A young girl’s message turned out to be prophetic before India’s World Cup semifinal against the reigning champions, Australia: “Australia plays well, but I’m sure India plays better than Australia.”

In a stunning turn of events, India defeated Australia with a record-breaking chase and went on to claim victory over South Africa in the final, securing their first World Cup trophy. The moment was particularly memorable because it featured the young volunteer confidently delivering her message to the Indian team, which was met with cheers once it sank in.

Commentator Ian Bishop remarked, “She could captain India one day, who knows? We need to know her name. We need to remember her name.”

This inspiring young girl is 10-year-old Mysha Mangesh Shinde, a student at D.Y. Patil International School in Nerul, located just a short distance from the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. She was one of the player escorts for the national anthems. Before the semifinal, she walked out holding the hand of Australia’s captain, Alyssa Healy. After the anthems and a brief exchange with Healy, Mysha approached India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur.

“I asked her [Harmanpreet] if I could hug her, and she immediately said, ‘Obviously, yes’. I shared a message I had for her because Australia had won the World Cup seven times, and I wanted India to win that day. She asked me to wait for a moment, then took me to their team huddle and had me repeat the message,” Mysha recounted in an interview with Sportstar.

Her proud father informed her that she was seen on TV, and her friends were thrilled to witness it as well. Mysha also participated during the final as a volunteer, escorting South Africa’s veteran Marizanne Kapp.

That brief television appearance quickly gained social media attention, with ICC turning it into a reel that approached 11 million views on Instagram.

Mysha’s mother, Shradha, expressed her surprise and pride: “Our friends and family were sending us the ICC reel. It was quite overwhelming because this was a first-time experience for us.”

A future sportsperson

Mysha’s love for cricket began while watching Virat Kohli during recent men’s World Cups. Inspired by him, she started playing cricket in her neighborhood. She dreams of representing her country one day and benefits from her school’s partnership with SRT10, Sachin Tendulkar’s foundation, which provides professional coaching. Her parents are considering enrolling her in a cricket academy.

While it remains to be seen if Mysha will fulfill Ian Bishop’s playful prophecy and captain India one day, for now, her immediate goal is more straightforward: earning a spot on her school’s football team for an upcoming tournament.

Published on Nov 5, 2025.