From 1913 to World Cup Glory: India’s Women’s Cricket Rise

It wasn’t just a game. It was a century in the making. When India’s women’s cricket team stepped onto the field for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final in Navi Mumbai, they weren’t just chasing a trophy — they were fulfilling a dream first whispered over 100 years ago. Their journey from obscurity to global relevance is a powerful story of resilience, belief, and a nation finally ready to cheer for its daughters.

India Women Cricket: A Dream Born in 1913

Few know that women’s cricket in India dates back to 1913, when it was introduced as a “compulsory” activity in a handful of elite girls’ schools in Bombay and Calcutta. Back then, it was more about physical education than competitive sport. For decades, the game simmered quietly — underfunded, overlooked, and often dismissed as a pastime rather than a profession.

Fast forward to 1978: the Indian women’s team played their first official international match, against the West Indies. They lost. Badly. But they showed up. And that was the first real spark. Over the next 40 years, progress was slow but steady — marked by moments of brilliance (like the 2005 World Cup final run) and long stretches of institutional neglect.

The Turning Point: Investment, Visibility, and Belief

Everything changed in the 2010s. The BCCI took over women’s cricket in 2006, but it wasn’t until the 2017 World Cup — when India reached the final at Lord’s — that the nation truly paid attention. Millions watched Harmanpreet Kaur’s legendary 171*. Social media exploded. Sponsors arrived. Young girls picked up bats in villages and cities alike.

The launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2023 was the final catalyst. Suddenly, stars like Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Shafali Verma weren’t just athletes — they were household names with contracts, endorsements, and stadiums full of screaming fans.

Milestones That Built a Champion Team

Year	Milestone
1913	Women’s cricket introduced in select Indian schools
1978	First official international match vs West Indies
2005	Reached first World Cup final (lost to Australia)
2017	World Cup final at Lord’s; national spotlight grows
2023	Launch of Women’s Premier League (WPL)
2025	First-ever World Cup title on home soil in Navi Mumbai

More Than a Team — A Movement

What makes this 2025 triumph so special isn’t just the silverware. It’s what it represents: a country that finally sees its women athletes as equals. From dusty maidans to packed stadiums, from hand-me-down kits to national jerseys worn with pride — the evolution of India women cricket is a mirror of India’s own social progress.

Parents now encourage daughters to “be like Shafali.” Coaching academies report 300% more female enrolments. School tournaments are broadcast locally. This isn’t just a team winning — it’s a generation being inspired.

As captain Smriti Mandhana said after the final: “We didn’t win this for ourselves. We won it for every girl who was told cricket isn’t for her.”

Sources

Times of India: The journey of belief: How India’s women kept the fire burning