Every championship team has its unsung heroes — the ones who work quietly in the background while the spotlight stays on the field.

For India’s Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 winners, team doctor Harini Murali was one such figure, guiding players through fatigue, injuries, and the demands of elite sport.

Off the national stage, she has also served as team doctor and manager for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over the past three Women’s Premier League (WPL) seasons and was part of RCB’s 2024 title win.

Her work demands calm and focus, yet it has also placed her at the heart of some of the sport’s most unforgettable celebrations. Asked to choose between her two biggest triumphs, she laughs: “Being an RCB fan all my life, I think the 2024 WPL win was just that much more personal,” she tells Sports stars.

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“But the World Cup has eclipsed everything in the last 30 years of my life. (On applying for the job) It is the Indian team, that’s motivation enough. For anyone in sport, the dream is to work for the national side. You drop everything and run,” Harini says with a smile.

Moments that last

Even amid the long tour and high-pressure matches, small personal moments stood out for her. “When I first applied for this role, one dream I had was to spend my birthday this year with the team, which is on October 19.

“We had a game that day, a tough one. But it was still special,” Harini shares, referring to the gut-wrenching four-run loss to England.

After that tough result, India regrouped and advanced to the all-important World Cup summit clash. The final, she recalls, was a mixture of nerves and excitement even for those behind the scenes.

“We knew we were going to win when there were two wickets to go, but there was still that panic. We were all like, let’s just get over the line,” she explains — and India did, securing a 52-run win.

Among the moments that stayed with her, one in particular stands out: head coach Amol Muzumdar’s ‘Kabir Khan’ speech — echoing Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Chak De! India — before the final. “When he was saying it, that was something that was going through my mind. I was like, I’ve heard this before, and I think we’re going to have a very good outcome again,” she recalls.

A growing game

Harini’s journey into sports medicine began with a master’s degree in the UK, where she experienced structured systems for athlete care. “The culture of sports science there is very different.

“For the longest time, in India, it was only coaches managing everything — injuries, minor illness, workload. From there, we’ve made a beautiful transition, bringing physios, Strength & Conditioning coaches, and even sports psychologists into the fold,” she explains.

“Especially after COVID, we’ve seen a lot more of sports psychologists and sports medicine doctors coming into the fray. Each one of us stays in our lane while still being an adjunct support system to the other,” she admits.

She has also noticed a major shift in how players approach their own fitness and health. “The players understand their bodies better now — nutrition, recovery, workload. Earlier, there was a lot of bias around reporting injuries, but I don’t think that exists anymore,” Harini says.

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“Our elites are very clear, but the juniors, the ones who are still stepping in, it’s beautiful to see their curiosity. They want to be like them, and they put in the work for that,” she adds.

For Harini, being part of that journey — guiding, supporting, and witnessing the next generation grow — is the true victory behind every trophy.

Published on Nov 07, 2025