The roar of 45,000 fans at a packed stadium in India on Sunday, November 2, 2025, signaled not just a victory, but a seismic shift in the world of women’s cricket. India’s women’s national team clinched their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title, defeating South Africa in a dramatic final that kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the very last ball. This historic achievement, coming on home soil and witnessed by a sold-out crowd, marks a new era for women’s cricket in India and across the global South Asian diaspora.
It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. For decades, the women’s game has lived in the shadow of men’s cricket, especially in a nation where the sport borders on religion. But this time, the women took center stage, disrupting the long-standing dominance of Australia and England and joining the ranks of World Cup winners alongside these cricketing giants and New Zealand. As the final delivery was caught near midnight, captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s team, now only the fourth nation to lift the coveted trophy, ignited celebrations that reverberated far beyond the stadium walls.
The path to glory wasn’t smooth. The team endured three early defeats in the tournament and, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged during his meeting with the champions, weathered a storm of social media criticism before turning their campaign around. "PM Modi has been an inspiration for all of us," vice-captain Smriti Mandhana shared, crediting the leadership’s encouragement for the surge of girls excelling in sports across India. All-rounder Deepti Sharma echoed this sentiment, recalling the Prime Minister’s earlier advice to "keep working hard to achieve your dream."
Prime Minister Modi’s interaction with the team was full of warmth and reflection. Harmanpreet Kaur remembered their previous meeting in 2017, noting, "Now that we have met him with the trophy, we wish to meet him more often." The Prime Minister reminisced about iconic moments in Indian women’s cricket, including Harleen Deol’s stunning catch against England in 2021 and Amanjot Kaur’s nerve-wracking but successful grab in the final. He urged the players to champion the Fit India message, especially among young girls, emphasizing the importance of health and activity as a foundation for success.
The impact of this triumph stretches far beyond India’s borders. Cricket, once confined to Commonwealth nations, is now a global phenomenon, its growth fueled by immigration and diaspora communities. In the United States, a surging South Asian population has helped cricket gain a foothold—13% of Americans now consider themselves cricket fans, with 79% of foreign-born Indian-Americans and 47% of U.S.-born Indian-Americans following or playing the game. Major League Cricket in the U.S. has benefited from high-profile Indian investment, and last year’s men’s India–Pakistan match in New York drew a staggering 34,000 fans and 400 million viewers worldwide. North of the border, South Asians make up 33% of Canadian cricket fans, and the women’s national team now attracts 59% of the country’s cricket audience.
These numbers aren’t just statistics—they’re a testament to the sport’s expanding reach and the growing influence of women’s cricket. As the U.S. prepares to host Olympic T20 cricket at LA28, sponsors are taking note, with 37% of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander sports viewers expressing a desire for more culturally relevant advertising during games. The ripple effect of India’s World Cup win is clear: it’s inspiring a new generation of fans and players, both at home and abroad.
The transformation of women’s cricket in India didn’t happen overnight. Former India all-rounder and 1983 World Cup winner Roger Binny hailed the victory as the fruit of long-term structural investment and visionary leadership within Indian cricket. He credited BCCI Secretary Jay Shah for spearheading a movement that began with the push for equal match fees in 2022—a watershed moment that signaled a commitment to parity. "This was backed by decisive investment, launching the WPL on robust media rights, reviving red-ball domestic cricket for women, and adding age-group pathways like the U-15 One-Day Trophy," Binny explained. The results are visible in record audiences, growing player confidence, and a vibrant pipeline for young girls dreaming of professional cricket careers.
"Jay Shah’s insistence on excellence in everything from scheduling and player welfare to coaching and analytics has moved the needle on women’s cricket from promising to inevitable success," Binny remarked. The BCCI’s focus on professionalism and infrastructure has provided the foundation for India’s recent dominance and is setting new standards for the women’s game worldwide.
Comparisons to India’s legendary 1983 men’s World Cup win were inevitable. Cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar was quick to draw distinctions, noting, "The men had never progressed beyond the group stage in earlier editions, and so everything from the knockout stage onward was new to them, while the women already had a better record, having been in two finals before this magnificent triumph." He predicted that this win would shake the era of domination by countries that started women’s cricket long before India, just as the 1983 victory galvanized Indian cricket and encouraged parents to let their children pursue the sport.
Former cricketer R Ashwin went even further, calling the women’s World Cup win "an even bigger and more colossal achievement than any other World Cup that we have won, because it inspires girls to play the game and consider the sport as a career option." He praised Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates for sharing the trophy with legends Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Anjum Chopra, and Reema Malhotra—a gesture that acknowledged the contributions of those who paved the way and set a powerful example for future generations.
The international response has been equally enthusiastic. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, whose White Ferns fell short in the tournament, congratulated India and admitted he was rooting for them after their semi-final victory over Australia. "They were outstanding, truly world-class, and they deserved to win. We’re very proud of them even though we would have loved New Zealand to win...As long as someone beats Australia, that’s all we care about, and that’s what you guys do so well," Luxon told ANI. The tournament itself set new records for attendance, with 25,965 spectators turning out for India’s league match against Bangladesh, surpassing previous highs and underscoring the growing appetite for women’s cricket.
With the trophy now in hand and the world watching, India’s women’s cricket team has not only rewritten history but also opened new doors for countless young girls. Their victory is more than just a sporting achievement—it’s a beacon of possibility, proof that with vision, investment, and belief, the sky’s the limit. As the celebrations continue and the echoes of their triumph spread, one thing is certain: this is only the beginning for Indian women’s cricket.
