An extraordinary milestone has been reached in women’s cricket, as the India-Pakistan match from the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 has officially become the most-watched women’s international cricket game ever. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced this historic achievement on Thursday.
The high-stakes encounter, which took place in October 2025 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, saw India secure a commanding victory by 88 runs. This match captivated a record-breaking audience, boasting a reach of 28.4 million viewers and a colossal 1.87 billion minutes of consumption. These figures underscore the immense popularity and growing global interest in women’s cricket.
Beyond its status as the most-watched match overall, the India-Pakistan clash also achieved the distinction of being the highest-rated league stage game in ICC Women’s ODI World Cup history. Complementing this success, the India-Australia match on October 12 in Visakhapatnam garnered a peak concurrent viewership of 4.8 million on JioHotstar, setting a new benchmark for live digital viewership in the women’s game.
The tournament has experienced phenomenal audience growth from its inception. The initial 11 matches, including India’s games against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa, reached an impressive 72 million people, a substantial 166% increase over the prior edition. Viewing minutes saw a remarkable 327% surge, totaling 6.3 billion, indicating a deep and growing emotional investment from fans.
According to the ICC, the first 13 matches of the tournament have already attracted more than 60 million viewers, a staggering five-fold increase compared to the 2022 tournament. Total watch-time has climbed to an unprecedented 7 billion minutes, a twelvefold jump from the previous edition, signaling a massive expansion in viewership.
The tournament is being broadcast across Star Sports channels and JioHotstar in a variety of languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. To ensure accessibility for all, commentary is also provided in Indian Sign Language. Viewers can also enjoy enhanced features like multi-camera angles and Max View on live streaming.
As hosts, India, under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur, currently occupies the fourth position in the points table with four points from their completed fixtures. Their prospects of reaching the semi-finals depend heavily on winning their remaining league matches against England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.