For years, women’s cricket lived in the shadow of the men’s game, admired quietly but rarely given the hype it deserved. But this World Cup flipped the script. From record-breaking viewership to stadiums packed with fans waving tricolour flags, the ‘girls in blue’ finally got the stage, and they absolutely owned it.
India reached the final after a stunning, almost impossible win over Australia in the semi-finals, ending their undefeated streak that had lasted since the first match of the last World Cup. South Africa, meanwhile, shocked England, setting up a final that felt like a battle between two rising forces.
But let’s be real for a second. This season wasn’t all applause and confetti.
After a single off day earlier in the tournament, the team faced a wave of misogynistic and downright vile comments online. AI-generated images targeted players with “go back to the kitchen” messages, as if one bad match somehow made them less talented, less worthy, or less deserving of their place on the field. It was demeaning, exhausting, and a sharp reminder of the double standards women in sport still face.
That is exactly why this victory feels so monumental.
Girls across the country are replaying the final match, imagining themselves in blue jerseys.
There is a line in a Bollywood sports film Dangal that hits differently now: “If you win silver, sooner or later, you will be forgotten. If you win gold, you will be an example. And examples are given, not forgotten.” This team didn’t just win; they became the example. The comeback. The answer to every sexist remark thrown their way.
In a country where cricket is treated almost like a religion and fuels a multibillion-dollar industry, the sport has long been called a “gentleman’s game”. Women’s cricket has only recently begun to gain real footing— full-time contracts for female players were introduced in 2017, and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) did not launch until 2023. Despite entire cities gathering around TVs to cheer for the men’s national team, women’s matches remained on the margins, receiving only a fraction of the attention.
But now, girls across the country are replaying the final match, imagining themselves in blue jerseys. Schools are building girls’ cricket teams, brands are lining up endorsements, and social media is overflowing with pride. Sure, equal pay, proper infrastructure, and long-term investment still have a long way to go, but this win has shifted the mood and the momentum in a powerful way.
So here’s to the champions who smashed boundaries, literally and figuratively. Here’s to the girls who now dream bigger. And here’s to a future where women in sport aren’t questioned—they are celebrated.
India didn’t just win the World Cup. It changed the game, and this time, the world is watching.