Over the years, women’s cricket has gone through a significant change, and India has been part of that change. The journey of the Indian women’s team at the World Cup has been one of perseverance, of development, and sheer passion for the game, working its way from a small base level entry to one of the leading challengers of world cricket. Even if India has not been the winner, the Indian women’s team’s history shows it has been making its own impact over the years, not just with performances at the tier level, but showcasing outstanding cricketers to inspire the next generation.
The Early Years: The Start of Women’s Cricket in India
Although India was not represented in the original Women’s World Cup, which occurred in 1973, two years earlier than the men’s World Cup, there was an attempt to get India to the World Cup stage, which happened in 1978 when India hosted a Women’s World Cup, where the women received their first opportunity for international women’s cricket experience.
There was no governing body, no media, and there were no sponsors, but there is a sense of pride taken by players in their sacrifices to the game they loved to play; they were not doing it for the notoriety of playing; they were playing for the sake of playing. Most of their strength or pride came from the pure will to the effort, and it is something they are very proud of today.
Significant Moments in India and Winning the World Cup
India’s presence in the women’s World Cup became more and more significant with each respective tournament. The first mark in history came during the 2005 tournament when India reached the final for the first time with Mithali Raj captaining a team which, despite losing to Australia by 98 runs, played exceptionally well throughout the tournament – but, more importantly, the 2005 tournament created national recognition for cricketing of women’s cricket, inspiring a new generation of young girls.
The next mark in history came when India reached the final in the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England. This tournament became a landmark retrospective event, especially Kaur’s 171 not out against Australia in the semi-final – this was among the best innings of all time in World Cup history! The final came at Lord’s, where India, incredibly, lost the tournament by nine runs against England, which was difficult to understand! However, this event and the outstanding performances brought millions of cricket followers together as one, changing in history the way the nation views women’s cricket.
Unforgettable Contributions and Talented Players
The account of India’s women’s World Cup effort is a remarkable coming together of phenomenal performances from exceptional cricketers who have become heroes.
Mithali Raj, a class act, who is the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs from any era, steered her vehicle with decorum.
Jhulan Goswami, possibly the fastest of the female bowlers, has a reputation of also being dependable and a wicket-taker at implementation.
Harmanpreet Kaur, a power-hitting, aggressive bat, introduced a different brand of power hitting to the Indian game.
Smriti Mandhana’s stroke-play and production have put her up there as among the most ‘dependable’ of openers.
Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, and Jemimah Rodrigues are part of a new breed of players coming out of India, representing the growth of the sport and the future of Indian cricket.
All of these players have performed under pressure, whilst dismantling stereotypes about women’s cricket and gold women value and sport… and the extent of respect—“one game, all game.”
Challenges for the Indian Nation’s Cricket Team
The Indian Women playing at the World Cup may not have had it easy, but they did have some formidable challenges:
Measures of preparedness/exposure:
Up until recently, the women’s game (very unlike Australia or England) had very little cricket to play.
Handling of pressure/inconsistency:
During the knock-out matches, they have come up short and have failed to able to cope with pressure.
Limited infrastructure/investment (historical view) :
In contrast to the men’s game, the amount of training/conditions and the access to coaching were basically non-existent until very recently.
Balance of youth and experience:
The framework of having the right balance for the right team can be hard to implement as old players are phased out and new young players are introduced.
Overall, the development of women’s cricketing leagues in India (i.e., Women’s Premier League – WPL) has afforded them with more means of exposure, resources, confidence, and competitive experience.
India in the 2025 Women’s World Cup – Foundations and Optimism
India has significant ambitions for the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India will carry the weight of playing in home conditions with a spirited and buoyant crowd. Harmanpreet Kaur’s squad has made great strides in fitness, as well as in the middle and fielding, and in understanding the game situation.
The recent brand of performances suggests, it suddenly looks as if India is primed to take the next step this time round. A first proper win against Sri Lanka by 59 runs (DLS Method) in Guwahati appeared to be a step in the right direction. The top order looked strong with Mandana, Rodrigues, and Harmanpreet batting while the spin-bowling trio, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and Radha Yadav, would be potent on pitches that spin.
Cricket analysts unite, that this Indian squad looks to have the right combination and talent to be crowned champions in 2025, as long as they can deliver consistently in key moments of a match and be more consistent over the tournament.
The Future Ahead – Creating a Strong Path Forward
Regardless of how 2025 goes, women’s cricket in India looks to have a bright future. The next steps would include:
Investment in grassroots programs to identify emerging talent from all parts of the country.
Investing in domestic tournaments to provide a consistent stream of skilled players.
Improved mental toughness training in high-pressure contests.
Improved media coverage and pay equity so that female athletes are accurately compensated and recognised.
The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has already embarked on several initiatives to further uplift women’s cricket through central contracting, better professional conditions for players, and investment in the Women’s Premier League, which will also strengthen the team’s core.