What Has Made India Women’s Cricket So Dominant Since 2025?

India’s women’s cricket team has transformed from consistent contenders into serial winners on the international stage since 2025. From a maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph and historic series victories in England and Australia to an unbeaten T20 Asia Cup, back-to-back Asian Games gold medals, a landmark Test win at Lord’s, and an ongoing 11-match T20I winning streak, <a href="https://cricket.international/harmanpreet-kaurs-91-and-shafali-vermas-69-complete-indias-3-0-t20i-sweep-vs-zimbabwe/" title="Harmanpreet Kaur’s 91 and Shafali Verma’s 69 Complete India’s 3-0 T20I Sweep vs Zimbabwe”>Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, and now Smriti Mandhana’s new-look team, have turned big moments into a sustained era of success. The 3-0 T20I whitewash over Zimbabwe, sealed with a 92-run win on 20th October 2026, has only reinforced the scale of India’s rise under their new all-format captain, Smriti Mandhana, in her maiden stint at the helm.

Maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup Title (2025)

India’s greatest breakthrough arrived at the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, hosted by India and partly by Sri Lanka from 30th September to 2nd November 2025. After opening with wins over Sri Lanka by 59 runs and Pakistan by 88 runs, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side endured three straight defeats to South Africa, Australia, and England before beating New Zealand by 53 runs in a must-win game; their final league fixture against Bangladesh was washed out.

India then produced one of the tournament’s greatest chases in the second semi-final, overhauling Australia’s 338 with 341/5 in 48.3 overs. Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127 off 134 balls and Harmanpreet’s 89 off 88 anchored a decisive 167-run third-wicket stand. In the final at the DY Patil Stadium, India posted 298/7 and bowled South Africa out for 246 to win by 52 runs and lift their maiden senior ICC title.

Smriti Mandhana led India’s batting with 434 runs at 54.25 and a strike rate of 99.08, while Deepti Sharma was named Player of the Tournament after scoring 215 runs and taking a tournament-best 22 wickets at 20.40. Shafali Verma, a late replacement for Pratika Rawal, earned the Player of the Match award in the final with 87 off 78 balls and 2/36.

ODI Series and First T20I Series Win in England (2025)

India’s white-ball tour of England from 28th June to 22nd July 2025 further underlined their growing authority away from home. After winning the first two T20Is by 97 and 24 runs, India recovered from a five-run defeat in the third game to win the fourth by six wickets, sealing their first-ever T20I series victory in England. Although England won the fifth T20I by five wickets, India took the series 3-2.

Smriti Mandhana topped the run charts with 221 runs at 44.20 and a strike rate of 137.26, including a century, while Shafali Verma added 176 runs at a strike rate of 158.55. Debutant left-arm spinner Shree Charani was the standout bowler, claiming 10 wickets at 14.80 and earning the Player of the Series award.

India then clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1. They won the opener by four wickets chasing 259, lost a rain-shortened second ODI by eight wickets, and defended 319 in the decider by bowling England out for 305 to win by 13 runs. Harmanpreet Kaur scored 126 runs with a century, while Kranti Gaud took nine wickets at 15.11, including a six-wicket haul.

T20I Series Triumph in Australia (2026)

India continued their away progress with a 2-1 T20I series win in Australia during an all-format series from 15th February to 9th March 2026. After a 21-run DLS-method win in the opener, Australia levelled with a 19-run win defending 164, before India sealed the series with a 17-run victory defending 177.

It was only India’s second T20I series win in Australia, achieved during Alyssa Healy’s international farewell series. Smriti Mandhana was the leading run-scorer with 129 runs at 64.50 and a strike rate of 134.37, while Arundhati Reddy led the bowling with eight wickets at 10.87, including a four-wicket haul. India lost the ODI series 3-0 and the one-off Test by 10 wickets, but the T20I success remained a significant milestone.

Historic Test Win at Lord’s (2026)

India created history at Lord’s from 10th to 13th July 2026, winning the first-ever women’s Test at the iconic venue by 270 runs. After being bowled out for 285, with fifties from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma, India dismissed England for 170. Kranti Gaud became the first woman to feature on the Lord’s honours board with 5/37.

Yastika Bhatia’s 113 off 158 balls not only made her the 2nd woman after teammate Kranti Gaud to find a spot on the honours board, but also powered India to 341/7 declared, setting England 457. Sophie Ecclestone became the first England woman on the honours board with 5/118, but India bowled England out for 186 to complete a commanding win by 270 runs. Kranti Gaud’s match figures of 7/91 earned her the Player of the Match award.

Unbeaten T20 Asia Cup Campaign (2026)

India swept through the sixth ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup in the UAE from 30th August to 13th September 2026 without losing a match, claiming their fourth title after 2012, 2016, and 2022. They beat Thailand by 94 runs, Hong Kong by 137 runs, Pakistan by seven wickets, Bangladesh by 40 runs in the semi-final, and Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai.

Shafali Verma was the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 236 runs at a strike rate of 171.01, including three fifties, while also taking two wickets. Deepti Sharma dominated with the ball, taking 14 wickets at an extraordinary average of 4.21 and an economy of 3.84.

Asian Games Gold (2026)

India retained their Asian Games cricket gold at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, from 17th to 22nd September 2026. After beating Japan by eight wickets in the quarter-final and Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final, India crushed Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final to win a second consecutive gold, following their Hangzhou triumph in 2023.

Shafali Verma again led the way with 188 runs at a stunning strike rate of 202.15, including an unbeaten century against Bangladesh in the semi-final. Shree Charani was the leading wicket-taker with eight wickets at 3.75 and an economy of 2.72, including a four-wicket haul.

Eleven Straight T20I Wins and Counting

India’s current 11-match T20I winning streak began with their 94-run victory over Thailand on 30th August 2026 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The run carried through their unbeaten Asia Cup campaign, the Asian Games, and the ongoing series against Zimbabwe, which India completed with a 3-0 whitewash on 20th October 2026.

The third T20I’s 92-run win was India’s biggest victory by runs in a home T20I, fittingly arriving in Smriti Mandhana’s first series as all-format captain after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down on 6th October 2026. With Shafali Verma as T20I vice-captain and Deepti Sharma leading the ODI deputy role, India’s golden run has become the foundation for an ambitious new era.

I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.

Source: femalecricket.com