From bunk beds and unreserved train tickets to staying in five-star hotels and flying business class, women's cricket has undergone a 'massive' change, feels one of its biggest stars Jhulan Goswami.
Smriti Mandhana retains her second spot in the ICC Women's T20I rankings, while Harmanpreet Kaur moves up to 14th. Deepti Sharma also climbs to third in the all-rounders' rankings.
Harmanpreet Kaur and her team's maiden World Cup title is not just a turning point for cricket in the country but a watershed moment for Indian sports, feels women's head coach Amol Muzumdar.
South Africa defeated India by six wickets in the opening match of the Women's T20 series, with captain Laura Wolvaardt leading the charge. India's batting lacked momentum, and their bowling attack struggled with indiscipline, allowing South Africa to comfortably chase down the target.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid attributes the nation's recent cricketing success to the realisation of its immense potential, supported by strong infrastructure, talented players, and passionate fans.
For the world's women cricketers, financial parity with their male counterparts remains a distant dream but India's decision to boost the pay packets of its top female players is further evidence that the winds of change are blowing through the game.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 19 runs in a low-scoring final to win the cricket gold medal in the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Monday.
'Now, the girls studying in schools will also want to take up cricket as their career...'
India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has provisionally suspended 24 athletes across various sports, including cricketer Bhupen Lalwani, weightlifter Ajith Narayana, wrestler Sahil Jaglan, and national record holder runner KM Deeksha, for failing dope tests. The suspensions highlight ongoing challenges with doping in Indian sports.
Australia believe they can win from any situation, that mindset can't be taught: Sthalekar on India losing knock out games
Rawal, one of India's standout performers in the tournament, had injured her right foot while fielding in the deep during the 21st over of Bangladesh's innings. The setback ruled her out of the Women's ODI World Cup before the semi-final against Australia, forcing her to miss the knockout matches, including the final.
From Royal Challengers Bengaluru's historic first IPL title to star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finally breaking the iconic 90-meter mark to India women winning their first cricket World Cup, this was the year of long-awaited victories and record-breaking feats.
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Deepti Sharma created a new record in women's cricket, while Shafali Verma smashed a blistering half-century as India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to seal the five-match T20I series 3-0.
The BCCI celebrated India's T20 World Cup victory, attributing the success to the country's cricketing depth, strategic planning, and the team's outstanding performance under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir.
The other venues for the eight-team tournament include Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam and Colombo.
Over 6,000 young people from diverse backgrounds participated in the MY Bharat Youth Convention in New Delhi, interacting with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other dignitaries. The convention highlighted the crucial role of youth in nation-building and underscored India's significant demographic advantage.
Sourav Ganguly congratulated East Bengal after the Kolkata giants won their first-ever Indian Super League title, ending a 22-year wait for top-tier league glory.
'So much pride you have brought for us all.'
Deepti Sharma, who finished as the highest wicket-taker with 22 scalps at an economy rate of 5.52 along with scoring 215 runs in nine innings with three fifties, was also adjudged player of the tournament.
In terms of longevity, Mithali Raj's 23-year-old international career is also awe-inspiring and rivals Sachin Tendukar's 24-year-run at the top of his game.
Deepti Sharma's stellar all-round performance, including a maiden five-wicket haul, led India to a 14-run victory over South Africa in the fourth women's T20I. Despite South Africa already securing the series, Deepti's contributions with both bat and ball proved decisive.
The former World Cup-winning player further praised captain Harmanpreet Kaur for her leadership during India's historic ICC Women's World Cup triumph, saying her contribution was instrumental in the team's success.
The BCCI officially announced that India's international women's cricketers will be brought under the ambit of gradation payment like their male counterparts as it was discussed at the recently held finance committee meeting in Delhi.
South Africa defeated India by 23 runs in the fifth T20I to win the series 4-1, with Laura Wolvaardt's unbeaten 92 leading the charge. India's batting lineup struggled, failing to chase a modest target of 156.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be playing an ODI World Cup final for the third time, having finished runners-up in 2005 and 2017 to Australia and England, respectively. This will be South Africa's maiden appearance in the final.
Former Mumbai and Baroda first-class cricketer Kiran Powar has been appointed as the head coach of the Assam men's team for the 2026-27 domestic season.
Indian women's cricket's biggest icon spoke on a range of issues covering her legacy, experiences of playing in pre and post BCCI era
India's Renuka Singh Thakur is working to rediscover her swing bowling after a challenging tour of South Africa. She is studying old videos and focusing on fitness and skills at a training camp in Bengaluru ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup.
'How much value do fans and audiences hold for an ICC tournament every year? The novelty of it is wearing off, to be very honest and with all due respect.'
Former Baroda batsman Tushar Arothe has been named the Indian women's cricket team coach, replacing Purnima Rau, who claims she was not taken into confidence before the change was made.
A day after Bajrang Dal asserted it was opposed to participation of Pakistani women cricketers in the World Cup, BJP student wing, ABVP, on Saturday, threatened to dig up pitches ahead of the team's matches at Cuttack next month.
'We'll sit down and review -- see what went well, where we can improve, and how we can keep learning every day. There'll be a meeting for that. One game won't change our mindset.'
''With Aamir, I have maintained a friendship, and I'm so grateful for that. He's been so kind and generous throughout these years, whether it's in Los Angeles, London or here.'
Scindia's immediate task will be overseeing preparations for the ICC Women's World Cup beginning on September 30. Indore is one of the host cities.
From Mumbai to Colombo: Venues to host ICC Women's World Cup 2025
The Ireland women's team has never beaten India in the 12 ODIs they have played against them.
India's Sanju Samson has been named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for March following his outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur, Smrit Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues are poised to see an uplift of 25 to 35 per cent in brand value.
