At a glance
The Women's Cricket World Cup is the ODI (50-over) world championship for women, now run by the ICC. It began in 1973, two years before the first men's World Cup. Australia have won it most often, and India, after losing finals in 2005 and 2017, won their first title at home in 2025.
Key facts
- First edition: 1973, England (two years before the men's 1975 World Cup); won by England on points, no final
- Organiser: International Cricket Council (ICC), HQ Dubai
- Format: One Day Internationals (50 overs)
- Most titles: Australia, 7 (1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, 2022)
- England: 4 titles (1973, 1993, 2009, 2017); New Zealand: 1 (2000); India: 1 (2025)
- India's first final: 2005, lost to Australia by 98 runs at Centurion (captain Mithali Raj)
- India's second final: 2017, lost to England by 9 runs at Lord's (captain Mithali Raj)
- 2025 champions: India, beat South Africa by 52 runs at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai (captain Harmanpreet Kaur)
- 2025 Player of the Tournament: Deepti Sharma (215 runs, 22 wickets); Player of the Final: Shafali Verma (87 and 2/36)
- 2025 hosts: India and Sri Lanka
- Next edition: 2029, expanding to 10 teams
How it works
| Year | Host | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | England | England | Australia |
| 1978 | India | Australia | England |
| 1982 | New Zealand | Australia | England |
| 1988 | Australia | Australia | England |
| 1993 | England | England | New Zealand |
| 1997 | India | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2000 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia |
| 2005 | South Africa | Australia | India |
| 2009 | Australia | England | New Zealand |
| 2013 | India | Australia | West Indies |
| 2017 | England | England | India |
| 2022 | New Zealand | Australia | England |
| 2025 | India and Sri Lanka | India | South Africa |
The 1973 and 1978 editions had no final; the title went to the team on top of the points table. The separate Women's T20 World Cup started in 2009.
Recent developments
- 25 Oct 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur (126) and Deepti Sharma (106 not out) hit centuries as India beat Zimbabwe by 121 runs at Vadodara to lead the ODI series 2–0.
- 15 Oct 2026: Punam Raut, who scored 86 in the 2017 World Cup final, retired from international cricket.
Exam traps
- The women's World Cup (1973) is older than the men's (1975).
- India lost the 2005 final to Australia and the 2017 final to England; the 2025 final was against South Africa.
- Both lost finals were under Mithali Raj; the 2025 title came under Harmanpreet Kaur.
- India's 2025 win was in the ODI World Cup, not the T20 World Cup.
- Player of the Tournament 2025 was Deepti Sharma; Player of the Final was Shafali Verma.
Quick check
- Q: Which team has won the Women's ODI World Cup the most times? A: Australia (7).
- Q: Whom did India beat in the 2025 final? A: South Africa, by 52 runs.
- Q: Where was the 2017 final played? A: Lord's, London.
Further reading
In the news
Every time this topic has appeared in our current affairs, newest first:
- 26 October 2026Harmanpreet and Deepti hit centuries as India women beat Zimbabwe
- Week of 15–21 October 2026Punam Raut retires from international cricket