Meet The Physician For Team India At The Women's World Cup 2025

On the night of November 2(Sunday), South Africa was just 53 runs away from a chance at the Women’s World Cup.

Nadine de Klerk, who was at the crease, tossed a ball bowled by India’s Deepti Sharma. A hush fell over the crowd. Then, Harmanpreet Kaur made a stunning catch, helping her team create one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket history.

That moment changed everything.

Harini Priyadharshini Muralidharan, the team doctor and a 33-year-old from Chennai, was not only watching but also became part of this incredible victory.

“The dugout was filled with tension. Everyone… every single person was praying. By the time we reached the ninth wicket, we had a feeling we were going to win. It was that kind of excitement where you feel it’s too soon to celebrate. But when it finally happened, all we wanted to do was hug and cry, and that’s exactly what we did. Then came the rush onto the field”, Dr. Harini recalls.

She expresses her excitement about being on tour and feels a strong bond with the players.

This victory reinforces the idea of being in the “right place at the right time”.

Back in 2017, Harini, who hails from a family of doctors, was uncertain about her specialization. That’s when her father recommended she explore Sports Medicine, a path that was quite different from the usual.

“I reached out to Basu Shanker [an Indian performance coach], who advised me that to get into this field, I needed some hands-on experience. That’s why I started interning with him”, she explains.

After spending a year with him and realizing this was her strength, the young professional headed to London to pursue her Master’s in Exercise Medicine at Queen Mary University.

She came back just as COVID’s first wave was starting. “It was chaos,” she recalls, noting that the COVID years were pretty quiet, followed by a flurry of job applications.

“I must have sent out at least 100 CVs”, she mentions.

Eventually, Basu, who was with the Royal Challengers in Bengaluru, connected her with senior team members, leading to her recruitment after a series of interviews and discussions.

She shares,”It was crazy to work with both the men’s and women’s teams. The ultimate goal for anyone in this field is to work with the national team. When that opportunity arose, I didn’t even think about saying ‘no’”.

During the World Cup, Harini mentions that she spends around four to five hours in the treatment room.

“In sports medicine, the main focus is on managing injuries. There are several skilled physiotherapists and masseuses on the team for this reason. I step in when there’s a significant injury to address. Everyone has their specific roles. Sometimes during physiotherapy, if a player downplays an issue that could become serious later, I make sure to check it out. The team has been working with these girls for years, and a lot of great work has been done”, she explains.

The doctor points out that people often overlook the effort that goes into creating a champion. It’s not just about physical training but also mental preparation.

Seeing the hard work has truly been grounding. This win has made such a loud impact that I believe society is ready to pause and let these girls pursue their dreams. That’s the kind of influence sports can have.

Meet The Physician For Team India At The Women’s World Cup 2025

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Quote Of The Week

Subscribe My Channel

Discover more from Connect2ConnectOnline