The entire tournament garnered an impressive reach of 446 million viewers, the highest ever recorded for women’s cricket globally. This figure surpasses the combined viewership of the last three Women’s World Cups, highlighting a transformative shift in audience engagement. The final itself witnessed a peak concurrency of 21 million viewers, with the Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, becoming the first Asian side to secure the prestigious ICC Women’s ODI World Cup trophy. India now stands as only the fourth nation to achieve this coveted accomplishment.

Furthermore, a record 92 million viewers tuned in via Connected TV (CTV), mirroring the CTV viewership of major men’s tournaments like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Final and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Final. This widespread access across various platforms indicates a broad and diverse fan base. The success of the tournament is attributed to the exceptional quality of play, the Indian team’s stellar performance, and the increasing support from fans, governing bodies, and brands. The anticipation for future events, including the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in January 2026, is expected to soar as women’s cricket enters an exciting new era.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated that no victory parade is currently scheduled, with the focus shifting to planning after their return. The delegation is set to attend crucial ICC meetings in Dubai from November 4th to 7th. Any decisions regarding official celebrations, including a potential felicitation ceremony or a public parade, will be made following their return to India.

Interestingly, the missing Asia Cup trophy is also slated to be a topic of discussion with the ICC during these meetings. The BCCI plans to address the issue of the trophy not yet being handed over to the victorious Indian team.

The Women’s World Cup final, held on November 2nd at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, saw India defeat South Africa by 52 runs. The Indian team posted an impressive 298 for 7, fueled by a remarkable 87 from Shafali Verma, who stepped in as an injury replacement. Solid partnerships and crucial late-innings contributions from Deepti Sharma (52) and Richa Ghosh (34) propelled India to their commanding total.

Despite a valiant century from South African captain Laura Wolvaardt, India’s bowlers, spearheaded by Deepti Sharma’s exceptional 5-wicket haul and impactful spells from Shafali Verma, successfully defended their score, securing the coveted World Cup trophy. This historic win marks a new dawn for women’s cricket in India, celebrated by fans nationwide, even as official festivities await final confirmation.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur expressed the team’s ambition to make winning a regular occurrence. “This is the start, we wanted to break the barrier and now our next plan is to make it a habit,” she stated. The team is gearing up for a challenging schedule ahead.

Their next international assignment will be a comprehensive tour of Australia in February 2026. This tour includes three T20 Internationals, three One Day Internationals, and a one-off Test match, running from February 15 to March 9.

Following the Australian tour, the focus will shift to the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Subsequently, India will embark on a three-match T20I series in England from May 28 to June 2, 2026.

The immediate major ICC tournament on the horizon is the Women’s T20 World Cup, also scheduled for England in 2026. This 10-team competition is set to commence on June 12, with the final showdown taking place at Lord’s on July 5. With the ODI World Cup now secured, the T20 World Cup presents the next significant opportunity for India to add another coveted trophy to their cabinet and continue their winning momentum.

The triumphant performance has garnered immense praise from across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the team’s ‘spectacular’ win, highlighting their skill, unity, and grit, and emphasized how this success will inspire future generations of athletes. Leaders from various political parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Anand Mahindra, Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, and Nitin Gadkari, extended their heartfelt congratulations, celebrating the team’s courage, perseverance, and the inspiration they bring to young girls nationwide. Cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag also commended the team, drawing parallels to the 1983 World Cup win and emphasizing the profound impact this victory will have on women’s cricket in India. Even former South African captain AB de Villiers acknowledged the thrilling final and the growth of the women’s game globally. The entire nation is celebrating this incredible milestone, marking a new dawn for women’s cricket in India.

Reflecting on her emotional performance, Player of the Match Jemimah Rodrigues shared deeply personal insights. “I want to thank Jesus, could not do this on my own. I want to thank my mom, dad and coach and every single person who believed in me. It was really hard this last month, it feels like a dream and it still has not sunk in,” she stated. In a surprising revelation, Rodrigues admitted she wasn’t aware she’d be batting at number three until just five minutes before walking onto the field. “Was taking a shower, just told them to let me know. Five minutes before entering in, I was told I was batting at three,” she revealed.

Rodrigues emphasized that her focus was solely on securing a win for India, not personal milestones. “Today was not about my fifty or my hundred, about making India win. Everything that happened so far, was a setup for this. Last year, I was dropped from this World Cup. I was in good form. But things kept happening back-to-back, and could not control anything,” she added, alluding to past struggles and a period of significant anxiety. “I have almost cried every day through this tour. Not doing well mentally, going through anxiety. I knew I had to show up, and God took care of everything.” She credited her inner strength and faith for guiding her through the challenging chase, quoting a Bible scripture about standing still and letting divine forces fight. The emotional outpouring continued as she witnessed India’s victory, with her teammates, particularly Deepti Sharma, offering crucial support throughout the nerve-wracking final overs.

Reflecting on her extraordinary performance, a visibly emotional Rodrigues, awarded Player of the Match, shared her journey. “I want to thank Jesus, could not do this on my own,” she stated. “I want to thank my mom, dad and coach and every single person who believed in me. It was really hard this last month, it feels like a dream and it still has not sunk in.”

In a surprising revelation, Rodrigues disclosed that she was unaware she would be batting at number three until just five minutes before entering the crease. “Was taking a shower, just told them to let me know. Five minutes before entering in, I was told I was batting at three,” she recounted. The focus, she emphasized, was on winning for India, especially after past close encounters. “Today was not about my fifty or my hundred, about making India win.” Rodrigues also opened up about her mental struggles, including anxiety and the difficult decision of being dropped from the World Cup squad previously despite good form. “I have almost cried every day through this tour. Not doing well mentally, going through anxiety. I knew I had to show up, and God took care of everything.” She found strength in faith during the tense moments, quoting a Bible scripture about standing still and letting divine forces fight.

The Indian chase began shakily with early wickets falling, but Rodrigues, alongside Kaur, provided stability. Australia missed crucial catching opportunities, which proved to be costly. Despite losing Kaur, the team maintained composure, with vital contributions from Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Amanjot Kaur, who hit the winning boundary. The victory propelled India into the World Cup final, where they will face South Africa, aiming for their first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup title. Rodrigues’ century was a historic feat, making her the second batter to score a hundred in a World Cup knockout run-chase.

India has made one change to their team for the match against Pakistan. Amanjot Kaur is out due to illness, with Renuka Singh Thakur replacing her in the playing 11. The rest of the team remains unchanged from their winning combination against Sri Lanka. Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal will open the innings. The playing 11 also includes star players like Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, and Deepti Sharma.

Pakistan has also made one change to their team, with Omaima Sohail missing out. Sadaf Shamas has been included in the playing 11. Notably, this is the fifth time the two teams are facing each other in the ODI World Cup, with India having won all four previous matches.

India’s Playing 11: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (Wicketkeeper), Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaur, Shri Charni.

Pakistan’s Playing 11: Muneeba Ali, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Ameen, Rameen Shamim, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz (Wicketkeeper), Fatima Sana (Captain), Natalia Pervaiz, Diana Baig, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.