For almost three decades, India’s defining cricketing photograph was Kapil Dev at Lord’s, 1983, until MS Dhoni broke the jinx in 2011 and Rohit Sharma lifted the T20 World Cup in 2024. Those images have now found a companion: Harmanpreet Kaur, drenched in sweat and tears, holding the 2025 Women’s World Cup aloft. But Dev’s ‘83 win and Kaur’s ‘25 win have one thing in common. Both moments broke glass ceilings, one for a nation, the other for half of it.
Yet the aftermaths are starkly different. The men’s win birthed an industry giving rise to thriving corporate leagues, broadcast empires, a national obsession. The women’s win inherits an audience still learning to stay tuned.
In a post-tournament media interaction, a sports presenter chatting with former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin confessed that both had switched off their televisions when Australia piled on more than 350 runs against India in the semifinal. Ashwin later called it “one of the best ODIs he’d ever watched”, a match they both regretted switching off.
And perhaps that’s how sport works: when you least expect it, victory flips the script.
Still playing catch-up
India’s Women’s Cricket has come far with central contracts, televised games, and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) launched in 2023. The Mumbai Indians Women, led by Harmanpreet, sold out the DY Patil stands in their first season. Delhi Capitals Women found a loyal base in schools around Noida. But, there are only a handful of certified women’s coaches across most states; many academies still make girls train with under-15 boys. State boards differ sharply in pay and infrastructure. Domestic tournaments like the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy still run on compressed calendars, ten days of play then silence.
A senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official admitted off-record after the final, “Our men can play 60 days of red-ball cricket a year. Our women get about 10.” The World Cup win should change that arithmetic, but policy has rarely kept pace with passion.
Shortly after the win, the BCCI announced a ₹51-crore reward for the victorious women’s team, but soon enough, comparisons began. Earlier, the men’s team had been awarded ₹125 crore for their T20 World Cup triumph. On paper, both squads are now entitled to equal match fees, which is a landmark policy introduced in 2023. But the post-win disparity in bonuses struck a discordant note. For a board that has championed gender pay parity, this decision felt like one step forward, two steps back. While intent is visible, true equality demands consistency in celebration, in investment, and in recognition of the same sweat, skill, and sacrifice that goes into wearing the India jersey, regardless of gender.
The broadcast and brand equation
The WPL may have opened corporate doors, but not all sponsors have stayed the course. After the 2024 season, two franchise sponsors quietly pulled out, citing “low off-season traction.” TV ratings remain inconsistent; commentary slots for women’s matches still see rotating panels, unlike the established teams in men’s cricket.
Brands like JioStar, Tata, and Adidas now have a chance to tell women’s cricket stories year-round through documentaries, community programs, and junior leagues not just ad spots after a win.
However, the deeper transformation will happen for India’s Women’s Cricket not just on screens and stadiums but in school fields and municipal grounds. In places like Indore, Ranchi, and Siliguri, girls’ inter-school tournaments have already doubled since 2023. In Mumbai’s Dadar Union Club, the same nets once used by Sunil Gavaskar now host Under-14 girls’ sessions twice a week.
It’s these small, scattered signs that suggest something real is stirring.
The new kind of pressure
With victory comes the weight of repetition. India will now be expected to dominate, to never have a bad day again. That’s when systems are truly tested – when form dips, or a series is lost. The women’s game needs steady investment beyond golden moments.
Selectors must look beyond big cities; administrators must ensure that players don’t disappear between seasons. As former Indian cricketer Mithali Raj once said, “The measure of support is not in how you celebrate a win, but how you respond to a loss.”
The 2025 triumph may echo 1983, but this revolution must unfold differently. The men’s victory gave rise to commercialisation; the women’s must spark inclusivity – in commentary boxes, selection committees, and grassroots access.
Because trophies, however dazzling, are only beginnings. The real work begins in the quiet months after the fireworks fade – in nets, negotiations, and new narratives being written.
India’s women have lifted the cup. Now, it’s the system’s turn to lift them.
Read more: Swagata Sen : Championing South Asian stories at Cricket NSW
