India has done it! They are world champions. The women’s team won their maiden World Cup in Navi Mumbai to start a new era. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma were in the centre of it all and received awards for their achievements. In men’s cricket, Washington Sundar stole the show despite his questionable use, while Sanju Samson was dropped. Kane Williamson retired, and we have some new Mohammed Shami buzz.
India Women create history
India lifted their maiden ICC trophy after beating South Africa in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup Final. Tears of joy ran down the faces of players, especially Harmanpreet Kaur, who was playing her 5th ODI World Cup. Pratika Rawal, in a wheelchair, was part of the celebration. After India won, former cricketers like Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra were handed the trophy by players to pay respect for whatever they have done for Indian cricket. Jhulan shed tears of joy with the team.
Shami in IPL 2026 auction?
SRH has been approached by other franchises, asking them whether they’ll trade Mohammed Shami before the IPL 2026 auction. Bought for INR 10 crore by SRH, Shami struggled with form and rhythm in the last season. However, despite age and potential injury concerns, the SRH has decided to retain Shami for now.
Stars of World Cup Final
Oh, how the game works. Shafali Verma, who replaced an injured Pratika Rawal, was named ‘player of the match’ for scoring 87 runs and taking 2 wickets in the Women’s ODI World Cup Final. Deepti Sharma was named ‘player of the tournament’ for taking 22 wickets and scoring 215 runs. She became the first ever player, man or woman, to achieve the double of 20 wickets and 200 runs in any ICC event. In the final, Deepti scored a fifty and took 5 wickets, becoming the first-ever player, man or woman, to do so in a knockout match.
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Jitesh Sharma turns the heat on Samson
Not that Sanju Samson was dropped from the side for repeated failure, but he was benched to try out Jitesh Sharma. But the RCB wicketkeeper-batter seems to be the correct fit, as he played a 13-ball 22-run knock to help India win the 3rd T20I. Samson was moved down to No. 5 to accommodate vice-captain Shubman Gill. But so far, barring a fifty in the Asia Cup, Samson hasn’t been great in the new role. Jitesh, who is a specialist in batting in the lower order, capitalised on his opportunity, playing his first match for India after two years. And if he continues to do well in limited opportunities, he could pip Samson for the T20 World Cup spot.
Washington ‘Sundar’ batter
Why did he not bowl even an over? That was the question everyone had in their mind while India bowled to Australia in Hobart. Instead, Shivam Dube bowled three overs for 43 runs at a 14.30 economy rate, and Abhishek Sharma bowled one. While it might have been a strange call from Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar turned up with the bat, playing a match-winning knock of 49 runs off 23 balls. His unbeaten knock, which included 3 fours and 4 sixes, helped India chase down a 187-run target in 18.3 overs. The win also helped India level the series 1-1 as the team heads to the Gold Coast for the 4th T20I.
Williamson retires
Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from T20I cricket, months before the 2026 T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old joins the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Nicholas Pooran, and Mitchell Starc, all of whom retired from the format earlier this year. Williamson played 93 T20Is and is New Zealand’s second-highest scorer.
