YEAR OF CROWNS AND FROWNS

2025 was filled with white-ball success as Kaur and Co produced the defining moment of 2025. On the other hand, men’s team had a mixed year in red-ball cricket. Gomesh S reviews the journey and what lies ahead...

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IT is that time of the year again. The curtain slowly comes down on 2025 as everyone around the world looks back and reflects, relives and cherishes the year they have had.

The highs they have been through and the lows they have bounced back from. For Indian cricket, picking the biggest moment of 2025 isn't that hard -November 2. At the stroke of midnight, 16 women created history. They achieved something no Indian women's team has ever done before. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, the women in blue beat South Africa to win their first ever ICC World Cup. Five decades worth of heartbreaks, sacrifices came to an end as a nation of billion people erupted in joy celebrating the historic moment.

While the significance of the moment is monumental, one thing that cannot be ignored was their performance on the field the collective team effort that led to the eventual win.

Mandhana and Pratika Rawal did it with the bat, before the latter got injured. Jemimah Rodrigues fought through anxiety and played the knock of her life against Australia in the semifinal. Shafali Verma came in as an injury replacement to win the final for India. There was the omnipresent Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur. Then, the captain Harmanpreet and coach Amol Muzumdar. They all did their part to help achieve the crowning moment of 2025.

Former India women's head coach WV Raman aptly puts it: "I think the biggest highlight of the year has been the women's triumph in the World Cup without a shadow of a doubt and for the simple reason that it's something that they work hard towards." Raman points out that the team has managed to rise above their weaknesses and fear. "In the past, they might have perhaps felt after three consecutive defeats, they might have probably been deflated spirit-wise," he says. "They might have found it difficult to shed it and look ahead and do well to proceed further. But I think that is something that they have done well.