Harmanpreet Kaur’s viral post in PUMA tee shares a message beyond the game

New Delhi: When Harmanpreet Kaur sealed India’s World Cup win with a match-defining catch at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, she gave the nation more than a sporting triumph. A few hours later, she shared a quiet, image that soon became the emotional centrepiece of the celebration, and a moment brands couldn’t ignore.

The photograph, which showed the India captain asleep beside the World Cup trophy in a T-shirt that read “Cricket is Everyone’s Game,” went viral within hours. Her caption read: “Some dreams are shared by a billion people. That’s why cricket is everyone’s game.”

The post struck a chord not just with fans but also with PUMA India, whose message of inclusivity in cricket has long echoed those same words. The brand was quick to engage with the viral moment, amplifying it across its channels and reinforcing a narrative it has built over the past few years, that cricket belongs to everyone, not just one gender or generation.

For Harmanpreet, the photo reflected the exhaustion and relief of a 16-year journey crowned by victory. For the brand, it served as a cultural extension of a story it had been shaping since 2023, when PUMA led a nationwide campaign urging Google to recognise Harmanpreet as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team.

The initiative, under the hashtag #IndianCricketTeamCaptainHarmanpreetKaur, challenged long-held perceptions of cricket as a “gentleman’s game” and highlighted the visibility gap faced by women in sport.

This time, PUMA didn’t need to create a campaign, the moment did it for them. The image of Harmanpreet, world champion and national icon, resting beside her trophy while wearing the brand’s message, carried authenticity that no ad could replicate.