The journey of the Indian women’s cricket team is like a very fascinating story—full of ups and downs—and today it has created history. Cricket, which until yesterday was called a gentleman’s game, has been transformed by India’s daughters, proving that they are no less than anyone. If we mention recent players of the women’s team—whether it is Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh or Shafali Verma—then we have to accept that the story of women’s cricket is one that began as a small thought before it turned into history. India’s daughters have shown that if a small idea is nurtured properly, the sky can be conquered. Otherwise, in the early stages, Indian women’s cricket and its players faced enormous challenges and opposition. And today this very team is the winner of the 2025 World Cup. The team is connected to many different states of the country and is taking the nation forward united through sporting spirit. For women’s cricket’s global ecosystem, India’s daughters have lit a new torch, and the rise in global viewership has amazed everyone and earned them admiration across the world.
If today the daughters of India are world champions, there was also a time—back in 2017—when they slipped at the doorstep of victory in the England World Cup final due to stiff competition and missed the trophy by just 9 runs. But they kept trying, kept fighting, and eventually conquered the sky. The whole world once questioned them, and today the same global viewership numbers are skyrocketing. The focus of broadcasters has now shifted entirely to these viewership stats. Whenever India plays a match, the views increase like the speed of our Sukhoi jets. According to received data, when India and Pakistan faced each other, the global viewership reached 1.87 billion; in the semifinal against Australia, peak viewership crossed 4.8 million (at one time). In the final against South Africa, viewership reached 1.90 million, and on digital platforms, the global viewership touched 185 million. Whenever Indian players compete with Australia, England, South Africa, or Pakistan, our daughters also rise to great heights. As the saying goes—“Are our daughters any less than our sons?” PM Modi has always encouraged the daughters of the nation. He is also a promoter of sports. He congratulated the team when they reached the semifinals and gave them best wishes for the final. When they won the title, the PM welcomed the entire team in Delhi. He mingled with them for a long time, just like a family head lovingly interacting with his children.
In 1978, when India hosted the Women’s World Cup and the daughters made their debut as hosts, only Australia, England, and New Zealand had teams participating. It was a difficult journey that began with a single step and has now reached its destination after many miles. Back then, the captain was Shanta Rangaswamy, with players like the Edulji sisters, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Sudha Shah, and Fowzia Khalili. Over time, from Mithali Raj’s entry to Harmanpreet’s era, the talent and struggle of India’s daughters has proved that India is second to none.
The truth is that the 1997 World Cup held in India began changing things for women’s cricket, even though they faced defeat against Australia in the semifinals. The result was the same in the next 2000 edition. Then came the landmark 2005 final, a defining moment for women’s cricket in the country. Under Mithali Raj’s captaincy, India reached their first final. Although the 98-run loss was disappointing in terms of result, the progress was extremely encouraging. By 2017, Indian women had become a formidable challenge in world cricket. Today, the 2025 women’s team is said to be strong enough to defeat even Pakistan’s men’s team. The BCCI eventually established the women’s National Cricket Academy. Earlier these daughters stayed in hostel rooms during tournaments; but now, under the Modi government, they are provided five-star facilities. Earlier, these same daughters used to travel in unreserved compartments of trains to reach matches. Today, seeing their immense success, this seed of cricket has grown into a giant tree under whose shade young girls are dreaming and building their careers. In short, this journey of struggle has now transformed into a grand success. The whole world is watching the daughters of India hoist the tricolor across the global sky, after the sons.
