Women’s Cricket in India: From Humble Beginnings to Hosting the 2025 ICC World Cup

The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 marks an important event in the international cricket calendar for women. The event has another significance as it records 50 years of international women's cricket for India.

For women, cricket began in India in 1969 with the establishment of the first women's cricket club, The Albies, in Mumbai. The start was not easy and in the 1970s, Mahendra Kumar Sharma, the then-biggest promoter of women's cricket, used to attract the crowd with USP, to see the women cricketers playing in skirts, on loudspeaker, sitting in an autorickshaw and moving on the streets of Lucknow.

At that time, the BCCI however never supported women cricket in India and didn’t consider taking them under their wings. At last the BCCI took women's cricket under its administration in 2006, when they were forced to and were left with no other alternative. As per the directive from the ICC (who had earlier taken control of international affairs), all its members were to integrate their women's cricket boards to foster development. Even then, initially all was not rosy and there was no honeymoon period. It was not a smooth sailing for women’s cricket in India.

At an event at the Wankhede Stadium in 2011, India’s first World Cup captain and one of the famous players Diana Edulji congratulated the new BCCI president N Srinivasan on his elevation and said she hoped women’s cricket would grow under his leadership.

He stumped Diana with his blunt reply, ‘If I had my way I wouldn’t let women’s cricket happen. Women have no business playing cricket. We’re only doing this because it’s an ICC rule.’

This reply had inspired a famous scene in the blockbuster ‘Chak de India’ wherein the Hockey federation officials wondered aloud how the ‘chakla-belan’ wielding women of India could possibly play hockey in shorts!

Today the scenario has completely changed, and India is hosting the Women’s World Cup for the record fourth time. This time the World Cup final will be played on November 2 and incidentally the first Test played by India had also ended on November 2, 49 years back. India is celebrating this start. This Test was played in Bengaluru from October 31, 1976, against the West Indies, and ended in a draw.

Believe it, the West Indies team played a six-Test series on that tour. Shantha Rangaswamy was the first captain and top-scored with 74 in the first Test. In the series, India won its first Test (in Patna) as well as lost the first Test (in Jammu).

Other important milestones:

- The first One Day International was played and hosted on January 1, 1978, during the World Cup, which was also hosted. This ODI was against England at Eden Gardens and lost by 9 wickets.

- The first ODI win came in the 1982 World Cup in New Zealand, on January 17, 1982, against an International XI.

- 2005: Played its first World Cup final (against Australia and lost).

- 2017: Played its second World Cup final (against England at Lord's and lost).

Mithali Raj was captain both times.

- First T20 International was played on August 5, 2006, against England in Derby, England, and won by 8 wickets.

- T20 World Cup: Played the final in 2020

- Asia Cup Champion (7): 2004, 2005–06, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2022

- Commonwealth Games: Silver Medal in 2022

- Asian Games: Gold Medal in 2022

International Cricket Record:

Tests: 41 Tests, 8 Wins, 6 Losses, 27 Draws, 19.51 Win Percentage

ODI: 333 Matches, 183 Wins, 144 Losses, 2 Ties, 4 NR, 54.95 Win Percentage

Also Read: LIVE Cricket Score

T20 Internationals: 204 Matches, 111 Wins, 86 Losses, 1 Tie, 6 NR, 54.90 Win Percentage