Sometimes it is not meant to be, says legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar after the Indian team faced defeat by nine runs to England in the ICC Women's World Cup.
The organisers hope that the tournament will inspire the youth to take up the sport.
India were forced to follow on after being dismissed for 231 in the first innings, in the opening session on Day 3, of the one-off women's Test against England in Bristol, on Friday.
England were back to their blistering best as they defeated Pakistan by nine wickets to put themselves in a good position to qualify for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 semi-finals.
India needed just three runs from the final over but had only themselves to blame for the loss. With veteran Mithali Raj well set at the crease on 30 off 32 balls, the ODI skipper was left stranded at the other end and didn't get an opportunity to face a single delivery in the final over that was bowled by Kate Cross (2/18).
Captain Mithali Raj led from the front with an unbeaten 74 as India women outclassed England by eight wickets in the third and final One-Day International in Nagpur to clinch the ODI series 2-1.
India have been doing well in the 50-over format but they have plenty to ponder about in the shortest form, having lost their previous series in New Zealand 0-3.
Kohli, who also led India to the top of the world's Test rankings during the period, received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, which team mate Ravichandran Ashwin had won last year.
Though the India Women's Cricket team could not mark victory in the ICC Women's World Cup final, their families back at their home were seen celebrating their daughters' brilliant performances.
Joe Root was named 'Test Player of the Year', 'Limited Overs Player of the Year' and Fans' 'Player of the Year' at England's annual awards ceremony on Monday. The Yorkshire batsman, 25, hit two centuries in England's Ashes triumph last year, scored four one-day tons and was his team's leading scorer at the recent World Twenty20 tournament in India. He overcame competition from Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes for the Test award and edged Jos Buttler and David Willey in the Limited Overs category, with both prizes decided upon by a media poll.
After winning the ODI series 2-1, Indian women lost momentum and subsequently conceded an unassailable 2-0 lead against England.
Pacers Shikha Pandey and Jhulan Goswami snapped four wickets each while Smriti Mandhana hit a half-century as India outclassed England by seven wickets in the second ODI to seal the three-match series.
England women scripted a sensational recovery from a difficult position to register a consolation two-wicket win in the third and final ODI to prevent hosts India from completing a whitewash in the three-match series.
A desperate Indian women's team would aim to snap its five-match losing streak in the second T20 International against England, in Guwahati, on Thursday.
History beckons the Indian women's cricket team when it takes on England in the ICC World Cup final in London on Sunday, aiming to cap a fairytale run with a maiden title triumph and put some past demons to rest.
Harmanpreet, who was the second highest run-maker during the recently concluded ICC Women's World T20 event, gained three slots to reach the third position.
The Captain of the Year award was given to England's World Cup-winning, Heather Knight, the first for a women skipper
England rode on a half-century from skipper Charlotte Edwards to beat Bangladesh by 36 runs in a group match of the women's World T20, in Bengaluru, on Thursday.
Pacer Anya Shrubsole starred for England with figures of 6 for 46 off 9.4 overs.
All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Saturday.
India's batting sensation Virat Kohli was on Monday named captain of the ICC World Twenty20 team of the tournament, which also featured veteran seamer Ashish Nehra.
Australian eves once again proved their supremacy in women's cricket as they completed a hat-trick of ICC World T20 titles with a comprehensive six-wicket win over England in the final in Mirpur on Sunday.
Unlucky to have lost the previous tie against Pakistan by just two runs via D/L method, the Indian women's cricket team will be fighting a survival battle when it takes on a strong England side at the ICC World Twenty20 in Dharamsala on Tuesday. A defeat would virtually throw the home team out of the competition and the Mithali Raj-led side would hope to put their best foot forward against the English eves. Unlike the previous edition, where India women were ousted in the group stages, they are a strong contender this time around, courtesy their recent good showing in the T20 format, including a historic 2-1 away series win over mighty Australia in January followed by the 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in the run up to the ongoing World T20. In their last match also, India could have won the tie had rains not played spoilsport.
'This is a landmark moment for Lord's, with women's cricket now documented in the dressing rooms for the first time.'
As the countdown to 2018 starts, it's time to rewind those moments in sport that stood out this year.
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