A Brief History of ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

The 13th edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is set to begin on September 30, with India serving as the primary host and Sri Lanka as co-host. A total of eight teams will participate in the tournament, which will be played in a round-robin format.

Alongside hosts India and Sri Lanka, the competing nations include seven-time champions Australia, four-time winners England, 2000 champions New Zealand, as well as Pakistan, South Africa, and Bangladesh. While several teams have already announced their squads, a few are yet to finalize their lineups. Several teams have already announced their squads for the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, while a few are still in the process of finalizing their lineups.

Did you know? The first-ever Women’s Cricket World Cup was held in 1973, almost two years before the inaugural Men’s World Cup. The tournament was hosted in England and featured seven teams, including Australia, England, New Zealand, and four others.

In that inaugural edition, England emerged as champions, finishing with the highest points. In fact, during the first two editions of the Women's World Cup, the title was awarded to the team that topped the points table, rather than through a final match.

Since then, England has gone on to win three more Women’s World Cups — in 1993, 2009, and 2017. However, the most successful team in Women's World Cup history is Australia, having lifted the trophy a record seven times — in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, and 2022. New Zealand also claimed its first and only Women’s World Cup title in 2000.

India Still in Search of Maiden Women’s World Cup Title

Team India has featured in 11 editions of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to date, but is still chasing its first-ever title. The team has reached the finals twice, in 2005 and 2017, but fell short—losing to Australia and England, respectively.

With the 2025 tournament being played at home, this presents a golden opportunity for India to break the jinx. The current squad looks increasingly balanced and consistent, and playing in familiar home conditions could give them the edge they need.

Debbie Hockley (New Zealand) holds the record for the most runs in Women’s World Cup history. Mithali Raj, India’s batting legend, ranks second on the all-time list with 1,321 runs in 31 matches, averaging 47.17 across six World Cup appearances (2000–2022). Despite her individual brilliance, she never lifted the World Cup trophy. Jhulan Goswami, another Indian great, is the leading wicket-taker in Women’s World Cup history, claiming 43 wickets in 34 matches over six editions.