From small-town streets to the grandest World Cup stages, the journeys of these women are marked by grit, skill, and unyielding passion, culminating in India’s historic World Cup triumph.
Shafali Verma (Destiny’s favourite child)
The star of the final. Her sparkling innings of 87 laid the foundation for India’s win. She wasn’t even supposed to play this match. Recent inconsistencies saw her sidelined, but an injury to Pratika Rawal opened the door for her return.
At just 10, Shafali Verma cut her hair short to sneak into an all-boys’ team, pretending to be her sick older brother. She ended up as the player of the tournament.
By 15, she was dazzling in the Women’s T20 Challenge, her attacking game unlike anything Indian women’s cricket had seen. On her first tour to Australia, she smashed Aussie legend Megan Schutt for six. A huge Sachin Tendulkar fan, she became the youngest Indian to score an international half-century at 15.
Shafali also led India to their first ICC title at a women’s event, winning the inaugural U19 T20 World Cup.
Deepti Sharma (The throw and the glory)
Her all-round performance in the final – a composed half-century and a five-for – will be stuff of cricketing lore.
A national daily reported how her journey started. As a child, she was never far from her brother Sumit and his kit bag. One day, when a ball rolled her way, she fired it back with such force that it caught the attention of former India player Hemalata Kala. That throw marked the start of her journey.
At 17, she broke into the Indian team and has since become its most trusted all-rounder. Sumit left his corporate job to coach her full-time, guiding her switch from pace to spin so she could stay fit and contribute in every department.
She now stands behind only Jhulan Goswami among Indian women with over 150 ODI wickets. Once a top-order batter, she has recently found consistency lower down, her batting showing steady improvement. And her arm? Still as sharp as that first throw.
Her career-best 188 against Ireland in 2017 remains the highest ODI score by an Indian woman.
Harmanpreet Kaur (Oh captain, our captain)
She can just beat the crap out of the ball with furious hitting. She came of age with a sparkling 171* against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final. Her first ODI hundred came against England in 2013, and she became the first Indian woman to score a T20I century at the 2018 World Cup.
As a national daily highlighted, her father, Harmandar Bhullar, dreamed of raising a sportsperson. When she was born, he bought a T-shirt that read “good batsman”, a prophecy fulfilled. She did that and more. Led India to a World Cup win on Sunday.
Smriti Mandhana (Oozing class)
Times the ball with a silken touch. Her story began in Sangli, inspired by her brother Shravan, who played for Maharashtra’s Under-16 team. She made her India debut at 16 against Bangladesh in April 2013.
She tasted early Test success, helping India beat England at Wormsley in 2014. Her white-ball rise began with a maiden ODI hundred against Australia in Hobart in 2016. Since then, Mandhana has climbed to the top, even being ranked the No.1 ODI batter. Appointed India’s ODI vice-captain in July 2022, she has only grown in stature.
Jemimah Rodrigues (Power of emotions)
From the lanes of Bandra to the world stage, Jemimah Rodrigues’ journey began with a love for many sports. Her big breakthrough came when she was named Best Woman Cricketer (Junior Domestic) at the 2017–18 BCCI Awards. She made her ODI debut for India at 17 against Australia in Vadodara.
At 25, Rodrigues has shown remarkable versatility — opening the innings or steadying the middle order with equal ease. Her calm reading of the game and ability to pace an innings stand out, whether setting a target or chasing one.
Known not just for her stroke play but also her mental steel, Rodrigues showcased both when she returned from being dropped for the England match to score an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls against Australia in the semi-final, steering India to a record chase of 339.
She moved the nation with an emotional speech after the match.
Richa Ghosh (The power girl)
Power was in Richa Ghosh’s DNA — and her father, Manabendra, made sure she embraced it. While coaches worked on technique, he let her focus on smashing boundaries, broken windows and all. Table tennis was once on his mind, but cricket won. She became the first girl at Baghajatin Athletic Club, taking on boys across Kolkata’s circuit.
To nurture her talent, Manabendra shut his Siliguri business and travelled with her to Kolkata. Domestically, Richa tried batting, bowling, and keeping, but early on, after a tough fielding night, India handed her the gloves — a role she owns today.
Joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL added even more firepower to her batting, training her to clear the entire field.
Radha Yadav (The dazzler on the field)
Radha Yadav grew up in Mumbai, dreaming of cricket despite her family’s limited means. Her talent caught coach Praful Naik’s eye in 2012, when she fearlessly charged a boy holding the bat in Kandivali. Naik convinced her father, a vegetable vendor, to let her pursue the game.
She moved to Baroda when Naik shifted base. Radha became the first woman from Gujarat to play for India.
Known as the team’s best fielder, she starred in T20Is from 2018. Her ODI debut came in 2021, but she returned to the format only in 2024. An injury to rookie Shuchi Upadhyay gave her a spot in England this summer.
Sree Charani (Journey with a unique spin)
Sree Charani’s cricket journey began with plastic bats at home, playing alongside her uncle, Kishore Reddy. She chased him to the grounds, taking on players much older than her. Cricket was a hobby for Kishore, but it laid the foundation for Charani’s rise.
Early on, athletics was her main focus. In Class X, her PE teacher, Naresh, took her to the Sports Authority of India centre in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. Former India selector MSK Prasad noticed her athleticism and suggested she give cricket a serious shot.
Charani’s dedication shone at the WPL, earning the trust of Meg Lanning. She impressed enough to secure her place in India’s ODI squad, making the left-arm spinner’s role her own despite constant team rotations.
Also Read: Heartbreak To Heartlift: Tears, Triumph, And A Catch That Changed Everything For India’s Women’s Cricket https://www.vibesofindia.com/heartbreak-to-heartlift-tears-triumph-and-a-catch-that-changed-everything-for-indias-womens-cricket/
