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India Women with their maiden World Cup trophy (Source: @Himani_kk/x.com)
It's been almost a week since the India Women’s side lifted their maiden Women’s World Cup trophy, yet the celebrations are still echoing around the globe. Over the last month, cricket fans across the globe enjoyed some of the exciting white-ball action, which kept them on the edge of their seats.
The world remained stunned with the craze of the tournament, and the ICC has come up with a revolutionary step. The highest cricket body announced that the next edition of the tournament will be played with 10 teams.
ICC eyes bigger Women's World Cup with more teams
World Cups are always exciting, whether it's men’s or women’s, but the recently ended Women’s ODI World Cup was bigger than ever. Being played in India and Sri Lanka, the marquee event witnessed fans' craze to its best. The Indian fans got a special treat as Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. lifted their maiden global trophy.
Facing South Africa Women in the final clash, India Women clinched a remarkable 52-run victory and sealed the coveted trophy. Impressed by the team’s dedication, the fans’ passion, and the sport’s soaring popularity, the ICC has taken a bold step to shape an exciting future for women’s cricket.
In a recent announcement, the highest cricket body revealed that the 2029 edition of the Women’s World Cup will be played with 10 teams instead of eight. In a statement, ICC said, “The ICC board, keen to build on the success of the event, agreed to expand the next edition of the tournament to 10 teams (from 8 teams in 2025).”
While it may seem like a small change, it’s a huge leap for women’s cricket. With that initiative, the emerging cricket-playing nations will have a bigger stage to showcase their talents.
Women’s World Cup 2025 makes history on a grand scale
In India, cricket is a religion and the recently ended edition of the Women’s World Cup has proved the fact right again. Apart from cricketing records, the tournament set new benchmarks off the field as well. Almost 500 million fans in India watched the tournament, and around three lakh fans marked their attendance in the stadium. In a recent statement, ICC acknowledged the support.
“Nearly 300,000 fans watched the event in stadia, breaking the record for tournament attendance for any women’s cricket event. The tournament also witnessed viewership growth and new records being set for on-screen audiences across the world, with nearly 500 million viewers in India,” the statement said.
Along with those revolutionary steps, ICC has done more for Women’s cricket. In a recent meeting, the board approved key appointments to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, welcoming legends like Mithali Raj, Charlotte Edwards, Ashley de Silva, and more to shape the future of the game.
