Worth The Wait: India's Wonder Women Made 2025 The Year Of A Historic First
This was no trophy won by chance. The foundation had been laid two to three years ago. Having already endured heartbreak in two finals - 2005 and 2017 - India entered the 2025 edition with a different mindset.
"Definitely it's a very heartbreaking moment," said a dejected captain Harmanpreet Kaur as India suffered their third consecutive defeat in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 league stage. She had every reason to call it "heartbreaking" as not once, twice but thrice the team lost a match after nearly sealing a win. A disappointing series of results that started against South Africa, continued against seven-time champions Australia and four-time winners England. Despite this string of losses, the team held on to belief, hopeful of a turnaround - and the captain's words reflected just that. "We are playing good cricket, we are not giving up. But that last line we have to cross now because it's been the last three games where we showed up with good cricket. But unfortunately ended up on the losing side and hopefully the next game is very important for us and we'll cross that line," she said.
The turnaround did come - and in some style. India outplayed New Zealand by 53 runs (DLS method) to seal a semi-final spot. They then stunned Australia with the highest run-chase in ODI cricket to book a berth in the final. A spirited India defeated South Africa in the summit clash by 52 runs to clinch their first-ever World Cup title.
The moment all of India has been waiting for as ICC Chairman @JayShah hands India captain Harmanpreet Kaur the trophy #CWC25 pic.twitter.com/RDcQ3pVtl7
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 2, 2025
But this was no trophy won by chance. The foundation had been laid two to three years ago. Having already endured heartbreak in two finals - 2005 and 2017 - India entered the 2025 edition with a different mindset. They were determined to go a step further, and their performances backed their belief.
The inception of the Women's Premier League (WPL) played a major role in India's preparations for the event. Similar to the Indian Premier League for men, the WPL provided Indian women an invaluable platform to compete against the best international stars, share dressing rooms with them, and understand the tactics and mindset that separates the best from the rest.
Alongside tactical growth, the team also focussed on fitness. That focus bore fruit on the biggest stage. Take for instance the World Cup final against South Africa - the opponents were cruising at 51 for 0 in a chase of 299 before a brilliant direct hit from Amanjot Kaur broke the opening stand and turned the momentum India's way.
Squad depth was another key area India had worked on. The result of that investment surfaced when Shafali Verma replaced opener Pratika Rawal right before the semi-finals. While Shafali didn't fire against Australia, she rose to the occasion in the final, producing an unforgettable all-round performance - an 87-run knock and two wickets - to earn the Player of the Match award.
The architects behind India's #CWC25 glory pic.twitter.com/OfhJ34nPXO
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 3, 2025
India's form in 2025 leading up to the World Cup was a strong indicator of what was building beneath the surface. They clean swept Ireland in a three-match ODI series, then lifted a tri-series title involving South Africa and Sri Lanka. The Harmanpreet-led side defeated South Africa twice before outplaying Sri Lanka by 97 runs in the final in Colombo.
The winning streak continued as India defeated England in their own backyard in a three-match ODI series. Their lone series loss of the year came against Australia at home - but even that was a narrow 2-1 result.
Even if many wrote India off during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2025, especially after the hat-trick of defeats, the team defied all odds to script history.
Moments etched in history #CWC25 pic.twitter.com/HCsQcgacH6
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) November 2, 2025
The most beautiful part of the unprecedented achievement was the fact that it was rather a team effort, and not an individual's brilliance.
Smriti Mandhana's consistency at the top, Harmanpreet's leadership, Jemimah Rodrigues' fightback, Pratika Rawal's grit, Deepti Sharma's dependable show, and Shafali Verma's explosiveness, it all combined to take India over the victory line.
In the end, India didn't just win a World Cup. They rewrote history and redefined how women's cricket is being perceived in the country of 1.4 billion.
India Women
South Africa Women
Australia Women
England Women