He has, in some ways, turn out to be one thing of a fortunate mascot for Indian cricket. He was there when the Indian males’s workforce clinched gold on the Asian Video games, through the Underneath-19 World Cup triumph, and now — in his very first stint with the Indian ladies’s workforce — he witnessed Harmanpreet Kaur’s aspect script historical past by lifting the nation’s maiden Ladies’s World Cup title.
For India’s ladies’s workforce Energy and Conditioning Coach, A.I. Harrsha, this triumph represents way over only a championship win. To him, it marks a defining second — not just for the workforce’s talent and spirit but in addition for the exceptional ranges of athleticism, health, and resilience the gamers displayed all through the match.
“It’s by no means straightforward to maintain such demanding workloads by way of a protracted World Cup marketing campaign that includes 9 video games — and to take care of the identical enthusiasm and depth deep into the knockout levels,” Harrsha mirrored in an unique dialog with Sportstar after returning to his hometown, Hyderabad.
A.I. Harrsha with India ladies’s workforce captain Harmanpreet Kaur (left) and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A.I. Harrsha with India ladies’s workforce captain Harmanpreet Kaur (left) and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana.
| Picture Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A former Hyderabad Ranji Trophy cricketer, Harrsha brings a wealth of expertise to the function — from his time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2018 and 2019), to serving the Indian males’s workforce on quite a few excursions, and dealing on the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru since 2019.
“This World Cup triumph is the end result of an all-round effort from each particular person concerned. The muse was laid throughout an distinctive pre-World Cup camp organised by the BCCI on the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam, which helped us clearly determine what wanted to be carried out,” he defined.
That camp, he mentioned, centered closely on efficiency coaching — emphasising working mechanics, acceleration, deceleration, and alter of path, relying on every participant’s testing outcomes and motion patterns. “We didn’t borrow from any present mannequin,” he mentioned.
“Ladies’s cricket has its personal physiological calls for, and workload administration varies drastically from participant to participant. Our experience allowed us to tailor programmes that suited every particular person. Restoration, particularly, was given utmost significance. Not doing something isn’t restoration — it requires diligence and particular work to get better effectively and successfully,” Harrsha defined.
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Expertise and knowledge performed a central function all through the match. Each participant’s coaching load was meticulously tracked — from knowledge evaluation and sleep monitoring to menstrual cycle mapping. “We monitored every thing carefully — from workloads to restoration charges — to make knowledgeable choices. Every participant’s wants have been distinctive, and we by no means in contrast one to a different. It was at all times about you versus you — the participant’s present standing in comparison with their earlier self,” he added.
He credit the Ladies’s Premier League (WPL) for accelerating professionalism in ladies’s cricket.
“Similar to the IPL remodeled the lads’s recreation, the WPL has introduced a significant shift in requirements, publicity, and mindset,” he mentioned.
Reflecting on the workforce’s resilience, Harrsha highlighted how the squad bounced again after three league-stage losses.
“That section actually examined our grit and character. The best way the gamers responded — rising stronger and happening to win the championship — was extraordinary. It spoke volumes about their starvation, self-discipline, and the collective effort of the whole cohort.”
All through the marketing campaign, his message to the gamers remained easy but highly effective: “It’s by no means you versus another person — it’s you versus you. The main target was at all times on turning into a greater model of your self each single day.”
Harrsha recognized three non-negotiables for the workforce: clear aims for each session, efficient communication between gamers and coaches, and an excellence mindset — refusing to accept mediocrity.
“The dedication ranges have been phenomenal. The gamers have been open to studying, hungry to enhance, and their work ethic was excellent. When ardour and self-discipline mix, outcomes comply with — and that’s precisely what occurred,” he mentioned.
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When requested concerning the defining second of the marketing campaign, Harrsha pointed to the semifinal victory in opposition to Australia.
“That win gave the workforce immense perception. The best way they executed each plan and displayed unmatched power in a high-pressure knockout recreation was unforgettable,” he recalled.
He was additionally fast to credit score head coach Amol Muzumdar for his management and collaboration.
“He was unbelievable. The bond and understanding we constructed inside the help workers made all of the distinction. We labored exhausting, however we additionally loved each second collectively,” Harrsha mentioned.
The triumph, he added, wouldn’t have been potential with out the help of household.
“I’m deeply grateful to my spouse, Udhvithaa, who managed every thing again dwelling with our kids, Adhvik and Vinokha. Seeing them within the stands through the ultimate was an thrilling and unforgettable second,” he shared.
Assembly Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the victory was one other memorable spotlight.
“It was a two-hour interplay crammed with heat and positivity. He was extremely open, participating, and genuinely fascinated with listening to from everybody. It was an amazing expertise,” Harrsha mentioned.
For a person who has lived by way of the highs and lows {of professional} sport, this journey has been as humbling because it has been fulfilling.
“The extra lows you expertise, the extra you worth the highs,” Harrsha mentioned with a smile. “This World Cup win will stay one of the vital cherished moments of my profession but.”
Revealed on Nov 09, 2025