For decades, Indian women cricketers had to contend with the shadow of their male counterparts. They received less media coverage and support. Their achievements in international tournaments were constantly overshadowed by the men’s team. But it all changed on November 2, when Harmanpreet Kaur led India to victory in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The “Women in Blue” have now secured their place in history as the best limited-overs team in the world.India has now entered the top three in the world in white-ball women’s cricket and is looking to defend its title at the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | India Women’s National Cricket Team |
| Nickname | Women in Blue |
| Governing body | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) |
| ICC status | Full Member (Test status since 1976) |
| Captain (all formats) | Harmanpreet Kaur |
| Vice-captain | Smriti Mandhana |
| Head coach | Amol Muzumdar |
| Home grounds | Multiple venues across India (Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, among others) |
| ODI ranking | 3rd |
| T20I ranking | 3rd |
| First official Test | v West Indies, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 31 October 1976 |
| First official ODI | v England, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 1 January 1978 |
| Best ODI World Cup finish | Champions (2025) |
| Best T20 World Cup finish | Runners-up (2020) |
| Asia Cup titles | Seven (a record) |
India’s women play in the same royal-blue kit as the men’s team and fall under the BCCI’s women’s wing, which was folded into the board in 2006 after the erstwhile Women’s Cricket Association of India merged with it. Unlike several of their neighbours, India still play a small amount of Test cricket alongside a heavy ODI and T20I calendar, though red-ball fixtures remain rare – India’s most recent Test was against England at Lord’s in July 2026.
Captain of the India Women’s National Cricket Team
Harmanpreet Kaur has captained India in all three formats for several years and is now the most decorated captain in the team’s history at the age of 36. A Punjab batter and part-time off-spinner who made her international debut in 2009, she took over the captaincy from Mithali Raj in 2018 and has so far led India through:
- The 2020 T20 World Cup final in Australia (runners-up)
- The 2022 T20 World Cup and 2022 ODI World Cup campaigns
- A maiden bilateral T20I series win in Australia
- The 2024 T20 World Cup in the UAE
- The historic, home-soil 2025 ODI World Cup triumph over South Africa
- The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England
- The ongoing Women’s Asia Cup 2026 in Dubai
Her 2025 World Cup victory came on the back of two agonizingly close calls in finals, the first being her pre captaincy loss to Australia in 2005 and, more painfully, the 2017 final loss to England at Lord’s, where she scored a gritty 51. Her unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 2017 semi-final is still regarded as one of the greatest innings in the game’s history. In the final itself, she took the winning catch to clinch a 52-run victory for her team. In doing so, became the oldest ever captain to win the Women’s World Cup and only the fourth captain, along with Australia, England and New Zealand, to lead a country to the tournament’s victory.
Smriti Mandhana is the vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and one of its most reliable opening batters. Known for her stylish left-handed batting, she is India’s leading run-scorer in T20Is in the modern era and has consistently featured near the top of the ICC’s ODI batting rankings. Her opening partnerships were a key part of India’s historic 2025 ODI World Cup triumph, and she has also shown her ability to lead the side, deputising for Harmanpreet Kaur when needed. She is widely seen as the natural next captain of the Indian team in the years ahead.
Captaincy Timeline (Recent Era)
| Period | Captain |
| 2011–2018 | Mithali Raj |
| 2018–present | Harmanpreet Kaur |
Mithali Raj, India’s all-time leading run-scorer, led the side for the better part of a decade, including the 2017 World Cup final run, before handing the reins to Harmanpreet.
A Short History of Women’s Cricket in India
Organised women’s cricket in India dates back to the mid-1970s, when the Women’s Cricket Association of India was formed, and the national team played its first Test, against the West Indies in Bengaluru in 1976, and its first ODI, against England in Kolkata in 1978. For years the sport survived on minimal funding and almost no television coverage. The turning point came in 2006, when the BCCI absorbed the women’s game into its own structure, followed by a slow but steady rise in professionalism: central contracts, a domestic structure, and – from 2023 onward – the Women’s Premier League (WPL), a T20 franchise league that has become a major driver of talent and pay parity.
India Women’s ICC World Cup Timeline
ODI World Cup (50-over) Appearances
| Year | Host | Result |
| 1978 | India | Runners-up |
| 1982 | New Zealand | 4th |
| 1993 | England | Runners-up |
| 1997 | India | 5th |
| 2000 | New Zealand | 5th |
| 2005 | South Africa | Runners-up |
| 2013 | India | Group stage |
| 2017 | England | Runners-up |
| 2022 | New Zealand | Group stage |
| 2025 | India / Sri Lanka | Champions |
India finally achieved a long-awaited success on the global stage in 2025, which crowned a cycle dating back to the first tournament, in which they also finished as runners-up. The final defeat was followed by three more final defeats (in 1978, 1993, 2005, 2017), but this time the efforts paid off at home.
T20 World Cup Appearances
| Year | Host | Result |
| 2009 | England | Group stage |
| 2010 | West Indies | Group stage |
| 2012 | Sri Lanka | Group stage |
| 2014 | Bangladesh | Semi-final |
| 2016 | India | Group stage |
| 2018 | West Indies | Semi-final |
| 2020 | Australia | Runners-up |
| 2023 | South Africa | Semi-final |
| 2024 | United Arab Emirates | Semi-final |
| 2026 | England | Group stage |
India’s best showing in the shorter format remains the 2020 final in Melbourne, lost to Australia in front of a record crowd. In 2026, a promising start – wins over Pakistan, the Netherlands and Bangladesh – could not be converted into a semi-final berth after defeats to South Africa and, decisively, to defending champions Australia at Lord’s, where an unbeaten Harmanpreet 56 was overhauled by a stunning Ellyse Perry–Ashleigh Gardner stand.
Current ICC Rankings for India Women
Per the ICC’s latest annual update, effective around mid-2026:
| Format | Ranking | Rating |
| Women’s ODI | 3rd | ~124 |
| Women’s T20I | 3rd | ~264 |
Australia lead both tables comfortably, with England second in each. India have consolidated third place in T20Is and ODIs, though a 0–3 ODI series defeat to Australia in early 2026 – India’s first bilateral assignment after their World Cup win – cost them ground on England for second spot.
India Women’s Squad for 2026
Through the 2025–26 white-ball cycle – spanning the World Cup win, tours of Australia, South Africa and England, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the ongoing Asia Cup – the squad has blended senior stalwarts with a fresh wave of young talent unearthed largely through the WPL.
Core Squad (2025–26 White-Ball Cycle)
| Player | Role | Batting/Bowling Style |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (captain) | All-rounder | Right-handed batter, right-arm off-break |
| Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain) | Opening batter | Left-handed batter |
| Shafali Verma | Opening batter | Right-handed batter |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | Middle-order batter | Right-handed batter |
| Pratika Rawal | Opening batter | Right-handed batter |
| Deepti Sharma | All-rounder | Right-handed batter, right-arm off-break |
| Richa Ghosh | Wicketkeeper-batter | Right-handed batter |
| Yastika Bhatia | Wicketkeeper-batter | Left-handed batter |
| Uma Chetry | Wicketkeeper-batter | Right-handed batter |
| Bharti Fulmali | Batter | Right-handed batter |
| Harleen Deol | Batter | Right-handed batter |
| Sneh Rana | All-rounder | Right-arm off-break |
| Shreyanka Patil | All-rounder | Right-arm off-break |
| Radha Yadav | Spin bowler | Left-arm orthodox |
| Sree Charani | Spin bowler | Left-arm orthodox |
| Arundhati Reddy | Fast bowler | Right-arm medium |
| Renuka Singh Thakur | Fast bowler | Right-arm medium |
| Kranti Gaud | Fast bowler | Right-arm medium |
| Nandani Sharma / Nandani Kashyap | Fast bowler | Right-arm medium |
| Kashvee Gautam | All-rounder | Right-arm medium |
| Anushka Sharma | All-rounder | Right-handed batter |
| Sayali Satghare | Fast bowler | Right-arm medium |
| Priya Punia | Batter | Right-handed batter |
Squads are named separately for each tour and tournament, typically 15 members, with players such as Jemimah Rodrigues (in and out through injury in 2026) rotating in and out depending on fitness and conditions.
Squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 (England)
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Sree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav.
Squad for the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 (Dubai)
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Gunalan Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Arundhati Reddy, Pratika Rawal, Radha Yadav, and other squad members named by the selection panel, with Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out through injury.
Coaching and Support Staff
| Role | Name |
| Head coach | Amol Muzumdar |
| Bowling coach | Aavishkar Salvi |
| Fielding coach | Munish Bali |
Amol Muzumdar, a prolific domestic run-scorer for Mumbai who never played international cricket himself, took over as head coach in mid-2023 after a Cricket Advisory Committee panel – featuring Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe and Sulakshana Naik – picked him ahead of former India coach Tushar Arothe and ex-Durham coach Jon Lewis. Muzumdar’s tenure has since delivered India’s maiden ODI World Cup title, a feat that instantly elevated him among the most successful coaches in the team’s history. Before him, Ramesh Powar (2021–2022) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (batting coach, 2022) were prominent figures in the setup.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025: Full Breakdown
The 13th edition of the tournament was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, running through October and into early November 2025, with India’s matches largely staged on home soil. Eight teams competed for the title.
India had more twists and turns before finally reaching the finish line, including a loss to Australia in the group stage. But the team has risen to the occasion, as a stellar knock by Jemimah Rodrigues in the semi-finals sent India to its fourth Women’s World Cup final. The victory over an in-form Australia, who had won every match in the tournament, was also a morale booster for the team. And then, Harmanpreet Kaur pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Nadine de Klerk in a rain-hit final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 2. India beat South Africa by 52 runs in the final.
India became only the fourth team ever to win the Women’s ODI World Cup, joining seven-time champions Australia, four-time winners England, and one-time winners New Zealand. The BCCI announced a prize of ₹51 crore (roughly $5.7 million) for the winning squad, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly congratulated the team. Streaming viewership for the final reportedly matched the record set by the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup final – a striking marker of how far the women’s game has come commercially in India.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England: Full Breakdown
The expanded, 12-team Women’s T20 World Cup was held in England from June 12 to July 5, 2026. India were drawn in Group 1 alongside Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and debutants Netherlands.
India’s Group 1 Results
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| June 14 | Pakistan | Birmingham | Won by 64 runs |
| June 17 | Netherlands | – | Won by 95 runs |
| – | South Africa | Old Trafford | Lost |
| – | Bangladesh | – | Won by 5 wickets |
| June 28 | Australia | Lord’s | Lost by 6 wickets |
India began with two impressive wins. A 209/5 total (their highest ever at a Women’s T20 World Cup) saw them beat the Netherlands, but a defeat to South Africa left them needing to win on net run rate to make the semi-finals. They drew level with Australia, who were in turn pipped by New Zealand, when victory over Bangladesh in five wickets kept their hopes alive. India needed to beat Australia at Lord’s to progress, chasing 170/4 (Harmanpreet unbeaten on 56). They were bowled out for 111 as Ellyse Perry (56) and Ashleigh Gardner (53 from 27) struck the highest successful run chase in Women’s T20 World Cup history. India were eliminated, with Australia and South Africa provisionally through to the semi-finals.
Women’s Asia Cup 2026: India’s Ongoing Campaign
This year’s tournament – officially the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 – is being played entirely at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium from August 28 to September 13, 2026. Eight teams were split into two groups of four: Group A contains India, Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong, China, while Group B has defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, hosts UAE and debutants Indonesia. The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals on September 10 and 11, ahead of the final on September 13.
India enter as the tournament’s most successful side by some distance, having won the title seven times – a joint record across both the 50-over and T20 eras of the competition.
Schedule and Results So Far
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| August 30 | Thailand | Won by 94 runs |
| September 3 | Hong Kong, China | Played |
| September 5 | Pakistan | Upcoming |
India’s opener against Thailand was a statement win: batting first, Shafali Verma smashed 64 off just 36 balls to power India to a total that Thailand, despite a fighting effort, could not chase, with India bowling their opponents out for 65 to seal a 94-run victory. India then faced Hong Kong, China on September 3 to continue their Group A campaign, before the tournament’s headline fixture – the latest instalment of the India–Pakistan rivalry – on September 5 in Dubai.
Format-Wise Performance Numbers
Taken together, India’s career numbers across formats reflect a program that has invested heavily and increasingly successfully across white-ball cricket, while red-ball cricket remains a rarity even for a team with a longer Test history than most of its regional rivals.
| Format | World Cup Appearances | Best World Cup Result |
| Test | – | – |
| One Day Internationals | 10 (first in 1978) | Champions (2025) |
| Twenty20 Internationals | 10 (first in 2009) | Runners-up (2020) |
Standout and Record-Breaking Players
A handful of players have defined India women’s cricket across the last two decades, and their achievements continue to set the bar for the current squad.
Notable All-Time Records
- Mithali Raj – India’s all-time leading run-scorer across formats and the most-capped captain in the team’s history before Harmanpreet Kaur.
- Jhulan Goswami – long considered the finest fast bowler the women’s game has produced, and for years the format’s leading wicket-taker.
- Harmanpreet Kaur – India’s most successful captain, with a World Cup title, a World Cup final appearance, and a 171* against Australia widely regarded as one of the great World Cup innings.
- Smriti Mandhana – India’s leading run-scorer in T20Is in the modern era and a fixture at the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings.
- Deepti Sharma – one of the world’s premier all-rounders, a mainstay of both the batting and bowling units.
Major Achievements in India Women’s Cricket History
| Year | Achievement |
| 1978 & 1993 | Runners-up, ODI World Cup |
| 2005 | Runners-up, ODI World Cup |
| 2017 | Runners-up, ODI World Cup (Lord’s final) |
| 2020 | Runners-up, T20 World Cup |
| 2022 | Runners-up, Commonwealth Games |
| 2023 | Gold medal, Asian Games (Hangzhou) – cricket’s return to the Games after a nine-year absence |
| 2025 | Champions, ICC Women’s ODI World Cup – India’s first global title |
Ask anyone connected with the team what changed, and most point to a combination of factors: the WPL’s arrival in 2023 giving young players high-pressure exposure and financial security, a settled and increasingly specialised coaching structure under Amol Muzumdar, and Harmanpreet Kaur’s insistence – repeated publicly before the 2025 final – that the team stop looking at what had gone wrong before and simply focus on winning.
Why India Still Find Australia and England a Different Challenge
Even after the 2025 World Cup win, the 2025–26 season has shown that the gap to the very top of the game has narrowed but not closed. India were swept 3–0 by Australia in ODIs at home in early 2026 and lost a home Test to the same opponents; a T20I series loss to England in mid-2026, despite winning the solitary Test, underlined that results remain closely fought against the two traditional powers. Against the rest of the world – South Africa aside – India remain a clear cut above, but Australia in particular continue to set the standard the team is chasing.
There have been plenty of individual bright spots through the cycle: Jemimah Rodrigues’s semi-final heroics in the 2025 World Cup, Shafali Verma’s return to explosive form, Deepti Sharma’s continued excellence as an all-rounder, and a conveyor belt of new fast bowlers – Kranti Gaud, Kashvee Gautam, Nandani Sharma among them – emerging through the WPL pipeline.
How Fans Should Track the Team the Right Way
India’s calendar has become genuinely crowded, and judging the team on any single result is a bad habit to avoid. A few pointers help instead:
- Check the BCCI’s official channels regularly – squads and dates shift close to a series more often than expected.
- Follow the ICC Women’s Championship points table for ODI form, since it reflects performance across a full cycle rather than an isolated series.
- Read post-match reports and player interviews, which usually explain selection calls, workload management and injury returns better than a single scoreline can.
- Track T20I and ODI form separately – India’s results in each format can diverge significantly depending on personnel and conditions.
- In group-stage tournaments such as the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, remember that net run rate can matter as much as wins and losses – as India discovered at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
FAQs
Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain across all formats, having led the side to its first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025.
Amol Muzumdar has been head coach since mid-2023 and guided the team to their 2025 World Cup triumph.
As of the 2026 season, India are ranked 3rd in both Women’s ODIs and Women’s T20Is.
Yes. India won their first ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title in 2025, beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. India has not yet won a T20 World Cup, finishing runners-up in 2020.
The 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup title, won on home soil, is regarded as the defining achievement in the team’s history, alongside the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Mithali Raj holds the record as India’s all-time leading run-scorer across formats, though Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur continue to close the gap in the T20I format.
India won the tournament, beating South Africa in the final after knocking out a previously unbeaten Australia in the semi-final, powered by an innings from Jemimah Rodrigues.
India won three of their five group matches – against Pakistan, the Netherlands and Bangladesh – but were eliminated after losing to South Africa and, decisively, to Australia at Lord’s.
Yes. India are competing in Group A alongside Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong, China, at the tournament being held in Dubai from August 28 to September 13, 2026. India opened with a 94-run win over Thailand on August 30.
India face Pakistan in Dubai on September 5, 2026, in what is expected to be the marquee fixture of the group stage.
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