As India prepares to host the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, it also commemorates a golden milestone: 50 years since its debut in international women’s cricket.
On 31 October 1976, the Indian women’s team played its first-ever international match — a historic Test against the West Indies in Bangalore. In a remarkable coincidence, the 2025 Women’s World Cup Final will take place just one day shy of the 49th anniversary of that match’s conclusion, bringing the legacy full circle.
The birth of women’s cricket in India
The roots of women’s cricket in India trace back to 1969, when The Albees, the country’s first women’s cricket club, was founded in Mumbai. In the early 1970s, Mahendra Kumar Sharma helped catalyze national interest by promoting matches through his autorickshaw in Lucknow, famously declaring, “There will be a cricket match by girls, do come.”
This grassroots energy led to the formation of the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) in 1973. Though the WCAI was established too late for India to participate in the inaugural Women’s Cricket World Cup in 1973, the national team’s journey officially began in 1976.
India’s early milestones in women’s cricket
India’s international debut came in 1976 when they drew a six-Test home series against the West Indies. Key performances included:
- Shubhangi Kulkarni – India’s first five-wicket haul in Tests
- Shantha Rangaswamy – Captain and top scorer with 74 runs
1 January 1978 marked India’s first Women’s ODI match, coinciding with their debut as World Cup hosts. Though they failed to register a win in that edition, the foundations were laid for a rising cricketing powerhouse.
From early setbacks to global contenders
India’s women earned their first ODI victory during the 1982 World Cup in New Zealand, with standout performances from Fowzieh Khalili (88 vs England). Over the decades, the team steadily grew in strength:
- 1997: Reached their first World Cup semi-final
- 2005: Reached their first final (vs Australia)
- 2017: Narrow loss in the final vs England at Lord’s
Although India is yet to lift a World Cup trophy in either ODI or T20 formats, the team has evolved into a global force, consistently ranked among the top sides and producing some of the biggest stars in the game.
Legacy of Mithali Raj and the rise of Harmanpreet Kaur
Mithali Raj, India’s most successful captain and leading ODI run-scorer, led the team in both the 2005 and 2017 World Cup finals. Speaking at the 50 Days to Go event in Mumbai on 11 August, she reflected on the team’s evolution:
“World Cups always bring back memories. This team is confident, playing well in ODIs and T20s. Beating England in England was huge. With a home World Cup on the horizon, there’s no better moment for Indian women’s cricket.”
Now under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s women’s team continues to push boundaries. Kaur, the third-highest ODI run-scorer for India behind Raj and Smriti Mandhana, is preparing for her fifth World Cup appearance.
“It will feel like my first World Cup. I just want to enjoy my cricket,” Kaur said. “Playing at home is special. We’ll give 100% to finally break that barrier all Indian fans have been waiting for.”
Looking ahead to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025
Set to begin later this year, the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India offers the perfect backdrop for the 50-year celebration of Indian women’s cricket. With record crowds, increasing support, and a team on the rise, India hopes to go all the way on home soil and capture its first-ever World Cup title.
The journey that began in Bangalore in 1976 has come full circle — and Indian women’s cricket is ready for its defining moment.
