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2017 wasn’t just disappointing for the men’s team; it was also a painful year for Indian women’s cricket. Despite having a fantastic tournament, the Indian women's team choked in the final against England, shattering the dream of winning their first-ever Women's World Cup.

At a time when the men’s team was struggling to secure an ICC trophy, the women's team had the perfect opportunity to make history. But unfortunately, they fell short. And this wasn’t the first time that the Indian women’s team failed to clinch an ICC trophy. In modern-day cricket, the Indian men's team dominates the sport, and the women's team has been following suit. Players like Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur have been performing exceptionally well.

Yet, despite their talent and dominance, why has the Indian women’s team still not won a single ICC trophy? Is it because women’s cricket doesn’t get enough support? Is the BCCI failing to back the women’s team adequately? Or is there another reason behind this repeated heartbreak?

The History of Indian Women’s Cricket

The journey of Indian women’s cricket began in 1973 when the Women’s Cricket Association of India was formed. This was the governing body responsible for managing women's cricket in India, much like how the BCCI oversees men’s cricket. However, while men’s cricket had already begun internationally in 1932, it took almost 40 years for women's cricket to gain recognition.

The reason for this delay was simple—back then, cricket was seen primarily as a men’s sport. There were hardly any resources or public interest in women’s cricket. The Indian women's team played their first Test match in 1976 against the West Indies, which ended in a draw. Two years later, in 1978, under the captaincy of Shanta Rangaswamy, India registered its first-ever Test victory by defeating the West Indies in Pune.

Around this time, one event changed the landscape of Indian cricket forever—the historic 1983 World Cup victory. India’s men’s team, led by Kapil Dev, lifted the trophy and inspired an entire generation to take up cricket professionally. After this momentous win, cricket became India’s premier sport, and future legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Mithali Raj emerged.

Indian Women’s Cricket and Individual Achievements

It’s not that Indian women’s cricket hasn’t seen success. If we talk about individual performances, legends like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami are among the greatest cricketers of all time. Mithali is the highest run-scorer in women's ODI cricket, while Jhulan holds the record for the most wickets in women's ODIs.

In T20Is, modern-day stars like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have cemented their places among the best in the world.

The recent introduction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has been a massive boost for women’s cricket. It offers a competitive platform for the strongest female cricketers and is expected to help develop future stars. But even with such a promising future, the question remains—why has the Indian women's team still not won an ICC trophy?

Why Hasn’t India Won an ICC Trophy in Women’s Cricket?

So far, the Indian women's team has reached an ICC final only three times—

  1. 2005 ODI World Cup Final
  2. 2017 ODI World Cup Final
  3. 2020 T20 World Cup Final

On all three occasions, they ended up as runners-up. Twice, they lost to Australia in the final. Currently, after Australia & England, India is considered the strongest women's team in the world. The talent is there, but when it comes to big ICC tournaments, something always goes wrong.

1. Weak Domestic Structure

For any team to perform well at the international level, a strong domestic system is crucial. India’s men’s cricket has an excellent domestic setup with tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. These competitions consistently produce top-quality players.

However, in women’s cricket, such a structured system has been lacking. Until the WPL was introduced, India didn’t even have a domestic franchise league for women. Because of this, young female cricketers never saw cricket as a viable career option. The lack of financial stability and proper domestic tournaments meant that fewer women pursued the sport seriously.

Even today, very few academies in India train young female cricketers. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and the Madan Lal Academy in Delhi are among the few institutions providing professional training for women. Without a strong grassroots system, it is difficult to continuously produce world-class players.

2. Pressure Handling and Inexperience in Big Matches

Another major issue is handling pressure in crucial moments. This is something that has affected even the men’s team, but for the women’s team, it has been even worse.

If we analyze India’s performances in ICC finals, one thing stands out—they choke under pressure.

  • 2005 ODI World Cup Final vs Australia
    India bowled well and restricted Australia to 216. It was a very achievable target, but India collapsed for just 117 runs, losing by 98 runs.

  • 2017 ODI World Cup Final vs England
    This was perhaps the most heartbreaking loss. India needed just 29 runs from 30 balls with plenty of wickets in hand. But a dramatic collapse saw them all out for 219, losing the final by just 9 runs.

  • 2020 T20 World Cup Final vs Australia
    Unlike the previous two finals, India was completely outplayed by Australia, losing by a massive margin.

In every ICC final, India has struggled under pressure. Despite having match-winners like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues, the team has failed to close out games.

The Road Ahead

If India wants to win an ICC trophy in women’s cricket, three things must happen:

  1. Stronger Domestic System – The WPL is a great start, but more tournaments need to be introduced at the grassroots level.
  2. Better Mental Conditioning – Players need to be trained to handle pressure in big matches. More exposure to international leagues can help.
  3. Increased Public Support – Women’s cricket still doesn’t get the same level of attention as men’s cricket. More viewership and fan support can drive improvement.

The Indian women’s team is on the verge of something special. With the right support and better execution in big matches, their first ICC trophy isn’t far away. 


Let’s hope they bring it home soon! 🚀🏆