On June 25, 1983, men's cricket in India changed forever. Kapil Dev leading India to victory in the World Cup final at Lord's was the catalyst that began to transform a sport into a national obsession and multi-billion-dollar industry.
On November 2, 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur's team has the opportunity to change women's cricket in India forever. To fan the flame lit on Thursday night into an incandescent beacon that could inspire generations.
When Amanjot Kaur, in the company of Jemimah Rodrigues, cut Sophie Molineux through backward point to take India to a historic victory in the semi-final against Australia, the result was more than an upset. It was the start of something huge.
Like Clive Lloyd's West Indies were in the men's game at the time, Australia have been the unstoppable force in women's cricket. India, meanwhile, have been the nearly team: often brilliant, often brave, but always one step short of achieving glory.
The World Cup final against South Africa on Sunday feels seismic because it comes at a time when women's cricket in India is already undergoing a transformation from within. National players receive the same match fees as their male counterparts; the WPL has provided professional pathways to a far greater number of women than ever before; women's cricket is nowhere near as obscure as it was even five years ago. The win against Australia in front of a crowd of nearly 35,000 in Navi Mumbai, however, made the country sit up and see that something extraordinary had happened.
People who already follow women's cricket in India knew the significance of the result, but the story of that historic chase against the toughest opponents and the emotional celebrations that followed pulled in a whole new world overnight. In this age of virality, those who had never known women's cricket found themselves receiving and sharing clips of India's victory. Rodrigues' iconic hundred took on a life of its own beyond the boundary. Snippets of her drives, fist pumps and teary celebrations flooded social media, made into reels soundtracked by patriotic anthems.
It was the first time that many would have sampled the intensity, skill and drama of women's cricket. Now, that curiosity is fuelling anticipation for Sunday. The final is now a national event. On the eve of the match, with a sizeable crowd at the DY Patil Stadium's ticketing gate, Harmanpreet acknowledged the magnitude of what lay ahead for her team.
"When we returned to India after reaching the [World Cup] final in 2017, there were a lot of changes," she said on Saturday. "Women's cricket had moved forward, we saw a lot more girls playing. So I'm sure if we win this one we'll see a lot more changes, like not only at the international level but there will be improvements at the domestic level too. We are really looking forward to that moment that women's cricket will be taken more seriously and will get more viewership."
For a long time, India's women cricketers were on the margins, playing in near-empty grounds and staying in budget hotels. Despite women's cricket having come under the BCCI's administration in 2006, the players got central contracts only in 2015. Domestic tournaments were still not up to standard and most players juggled jobs in the Railways to fuel their cricketing dreams. International tours were sporadic and often arranged on short notice.
The 2017 Women's World Cup in England changed that. Harmanpreet's 171 against Australia in the semi-final changed that. For the first time, a women's match trended nationwide and the final at Lord's drew millions of Indian viewers. Even though India fell heartbreakingly short against England, the impact of their performance was profound.
It led to investments in the game. Central contracts were upgraded, coaching and support staff were professionalised, and travel and training facilities were brought on par with the men's teams. The WPL was launched in 2023.
While all that development will certainly continue, nothing captures the imagination of India's millions like a World Cup victory.
The 1983 World Cup victory inspired a generation that included a young Sachin Tendulkar. In 2007, another group of Indian men won the inaugural T20 World Cup, and the fervour that followed that result was the catalyst for the launch of the franchise era that reshaped the global game.
Across the world, there's an understanding that India's rise is central to the growth of the women's game. Veterans like Alyssa Healy and Sophie Devine have spoken about India's success elevating the women's-cricket ecosystem by bringing in larger audiences and greater investment. After Australia's loss in the semi-final, Healy admitted that having a new ODI champion could only be good for the game's growth.
"I think I've heard many people say that this is the closest tournament they've ever played in when it comes to ODI World Cups and I tend to agree," she said. "I think there were genuinely eight teams in finals contention, which I thought was really cool. To see a new winner is going to do wonders for the game. To see how well it's been supported here in India, first and foremost, I think it's great for them to be able to have the opportunity to play it at home. In front of home fans, an ODI World Cup final is going to be really special for them.
"So I hope it does great things for Indian cricket and likewise for South Africa as well. It's going to hurt a little bit, but it's going to be really great to watch and hopefully we see it do great things for the global game and more investment in each of these nations moving forward."
Harmanpreet and her team-mates will approach the final on Sunday like just another game, as professionals do these days, fully aware of what victory could do for women's cricket in India. It's the sort of day that could make parents across the country nudge their daughters towards picking up a bat or ball for the first time.