He waited once — for Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli — as the teenage prodigies created history with a world-record partnership of 664 runs in the Harris Shield inter-school match at Shivaji Park in 1988. Amol Muzumdar, next in line and padded up for hours, never got a chance to bat that day.

He waited again, for the India cap that never arrived — despite years of consistent performances, an outstanding domestic record, and a reputation as one of the finest uncapped players of his generation. Yet when destiny finally came calling, it did so in another form — not through a bat in his hand, but a clipboard in his grasp, and a team that believed in his quiet conviction.

Inside the Indian women’s dressing room, just before the World Cup final, there was a simple message written on the boar

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