India’s victory in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 tournament was hard fought and indicative of an inherent ‘never-give-up’ spirit that has been developed over the years through several factors. These include better opportunities for talented young women in small towns and villages provided in the form of inclusion, sports facilities, coaching, and fair selection. India’s diversity is reflected in the varied skills and styles of the bowlers and batters. And, indeed, the players hail from all parts of the country.
It is also an overall reflection of India’s dominance in the game. There is surprise, for instance, if the Indian male team does not win – it has become the team to beat for the trophy. As the women’s tournament was progressing, everybody expected the Indians to do well but were surprised to see them falter at the finish line and lose three games in a row. They made it, however, to the semis and then the final with spectacular individual and team performances. This indicates the depth in the team, both in the field and on the bench.
Even as each player has made it through a hard struggle, individually, to reach the top level, making sacrifices, benefiting from excellent coaching, and family support, credit also must go to the manner in which cricket has been systematically boosted through policy and practice by the BCCI and state associations. All the lessons learned from men’s cricket have been intelligently applied to the women’s game. A primary one has been the introduction of greater funding and higher payments to players and the support staff, on par with the male players. The Women’s Premier League has further ‘professionalised’ the game, providing a wider support base to allow players to turn from amateur part-timers to professionals in greater numbers. This has expanded the talent bank.
Over the years, the infrastructure has also been improved and expanded. This is crucial. It may be recalled that India’s dominance in hockey ended once the game began to be played on astro-turf rather than grass. At one time, just the city of Amsterdam had more astro-turf hockey fields than the whole of India. Public support plays a crucial role, also, in promoting a game. Larger number of spectators in the stadia, and viewers of telecasts, attracts advertisers and revenue. Cricket has benefited because of individuals’ performances, and the complex scope for drama in the field. Other sports should become similarly spectacular for India to find its rightful place in the world of sports.
