Life has come to a full circle for many players like Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh, and many young players, who weren't a part of the Mithali Raj-led squad in the 2017 ODI World Cup in England. In several interviews, Verma often used to say how that campaign motivated her. It is very unfortunate for Pratika Rawal, one of the key top-order scorers of the team, to miss out on the last but important leg of the tournament. But it has opened the dreams to finish the unfinished dreams of players like shafali who was just a mere fan. Since 1978, India has been playing in a Women's ODI World Cup. However, India managed to reach the final twice, in 2005 and in 2017, both led by Mithali Raj. However, the 2017 World Cup campaign will always be a special one. What happened in 2017 Women's ODI World Cup? Factually, India lost to the hosts, England. But the scorecard had a difference of just 9 runs. England lost 7 wickets to score 228 runs with Nat Sciver-Brunt scoring a half century (51). Sarah taylor added 45 runs, which was the second-highest score for the team that day. For India, Jhulan Goswami was the key bowler, picking 3 wickets for 23, while Poonam Yadav took 2 for 36. Coming to chase, India got a good start. opener Poonam Yadav scored 86 off 115. Mithali Raj, the captain who led from the front with the bat, suffered a nasty run-out and departed for just 17. Harmanpreet scored 51 while Veda Krishnamurthy scored 35. Well, India could not stand after that. A fragile lower order got India finished by 48 overs, scoring 219 runs. The dreams shattered. But a new era started. Read also: India Women Beat Australia to Enter ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Final 2017 WODI campaign beyond the final A tournament that tagged India as defeated saw them winning multiple prospects, but unnoticed. India lost to just South Africa and Australia in the league phase and had finished third before going to the semis and meeting Australia again. Among the wins, the India vs Pakistan match got huge leverage. India had defeated Pakistan by 95 runs. Thanks to Ekta Bisth's fifer, India not only just defended 169 runs but also bundled out Pakistan in 74 runs. A similar outcome came against New Zealand when it was Rajeshwari Gaikwad with her fifer rattling down New Zealand batting, having Depti Sharma (2) by her side. New Zealand was all ut for 79 while chasing 266, a score built on Mithali Raj's century and two half centuries from Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy. Speaking about the captain, Mithali raj, she was the second-highest scorer of the tournament, having 409 runs with a century and 3 fifties. She was widely praised for her calm and composed captaincy, with media often comparing her with the former men's captain MS Dhoni. Following the tournament, despite being on the defeated side, she was declared as the captain for the ICC playing XI of the tournament. On the other hand, Harmanpreet kaur, who gained a lot of popularity for her hard-hitting abilities, amassed 359 runs at a strike rate of 95. Her important knock was the one against Australia at the semi-final, where she was not out for 171, becoming the first ever Indian to have a century in a WODI World Cup. Read also: Jemimah Rodrigues joins captain Harmanpreet Singh after match-winning century against Australia Off-field influence At that time, the media started comparing Jhulan Goswami with the former Indian men's captain Sourav Ganguly for achieving a unique feat—playing at the celebrated Lord's Stadium. It was said that it was Jhulan Goswami being the second Bengali after Ganguly to ever play a match there. Well, keeping those aside, the 2017 tournament triggered a massive jump in viewership in India: around 156 million people viewed the event in India alone. The viewing hours in India rose by nearly 300 % compared to the 2013 edition. The viewing hours in India rose by nearly 300 % compared to the 2013 edition. Young girls and families started seeing women cricketers as role models. Mithali herself noted that many more girls now wanted to play cricket than before. According to players and commentators, after 2017 women’s cricket in India entered a new phase: more matches televised, more support from parents for girls playing cricket, more media attention. The campaign helped shift the narrative — no longer purely a “supporting act”, but a team that could compete for the trophy. Their journey was celebrated, not just in cricket circles but in mainstream media. In 2022, India experienced an unprecedented exit in the group stage. However, in 2025, the team has gotten yet another chance to relive the dream, but getting the long-wanted trophy and a star on the chest.