Women’s cricket takes centre stage

Women’s cricket in India has witnessed a remarkable rise in recent years. On the field, the Indian women’s national team has been going from strength to strength, even winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025. Meanwhile, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has brought world‑class talent to Indian grounds, significantly elevating the sport’s profile.

But is this momentum reflected in how deeply fans are interacting with the game? According to International Cricket Council, during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, digital engagement reached historic levels, generating 5.2 billion video views – a massive jump from 1.5 billion in 2024 – and driving 279 million social media interactions, more than triple the previous year. Fan emotion also played a key role: Team India’s titlewinning moment alone amassed 87 million views, while celebratory scenes from the semifinal crossed 70 million views.

To better understand the impact the event had on women’s cricket in India, YouGov surveyed 1,064 respondents, examining the extent to which the World Cup encouraged fans to follow the WPL, their level of interest in the tournament, and what factors are motivating viewers to tune in this year.

Gen Z and new fans drive Women’s Premier League viewership

Interest in women’s cricket among Indians appears to have gone mainstream, with 80% of the general population showing some kind of interest in WPL and 26% saying they are very interested.

In its fourth season, WPL is still attracting first time watchers with 57% agreeing that they are watching WPL for the first time. This share rises slightly to 60% of Gen Z consumers.

On the whole, 68% of consumers said they had been watching the WPL this year, and the fan base of the tournament skews younger. Seven in ten (71%) are Gen Z and Millennials.

Patterns of following and watching the tournament differ notably across generations. Among those who say they would follow the tournament, around seven in ten Baby Boomers (69%) and half of Gen X (52%) say they would watch the majority of WPL matches. In contrast, Gen Z audiences are more likely to say they would tune in primarily for matches featuring their favourite teams (52%). This suggests younger fans are engaging with the league through team or franchise loyalties, while older audiences tend to follow the tournament more broadly.

India’s Women’s World Cup victory boosts interest in the WPL

When asked what prompted their interest in WPL this year, 55% of both male and female respondents stated that the success of the Indian team in the 2025 ICC ODI Women’s World Cup was the one of the reasons they are watching the tournament so intently this year. This effect is spread quite evenly across the country, with South Indian fans being slightly more likely than the national average to report the effect (61%).

The number of people following women’s cricket in India has also seen an uptick post the World Cup win in November 2025 with 40.8% of the population actively following women’s cricket in January 2026 (two months post the event) compared to 38.9% in September (two months prior to the event).

WPL season 4 final records highest viewership in tournament history

The recently concluded WPL season did very well in linear TV viewership, drawing 37.1 million viewers for the Eliminator and Final on television. This was a 28% increase compared with last season’s knockout matches and the highest viewership since the tournament began.

Women’s cricket gaining momentum worldwide

The rise of women’s cricket extends beyond India. Ticket sales for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in England have already surpassed those of the 2017 50-over tournament. In January it was reported that with less than five months to go until the opening match, more than 100,000 tickets have been sold.

YouGov surveyed 2,158 adults in the United Kingdom and among those who said they are very interested in the upcoming tournament, 10% say they plan to follow or watch matches live at the stadium, while 65% intend to watch on TV or on digital streaming platforms.

The tournament will also result in a host of new fans getting a taste of cricket. Among women who expect to watch or follow the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, 42% say this will be their first time watching the tournament. A quarter of men also say they the tournament will be the first time they will be watching any women’s cricket.

As well as increasing its female fanbase, women's cricket in the UK is also attracting younger followers with 43% of Gen Z respondents and 38% of Millennial respondents being first time watchers. As with Indian respondents, patterns of following/ watching the tournament vary across age groups, although the trend is reversed. 35% of Gen Z fans and 30% of Millennial fans prefer to watch all/ majority of the matches, whilst just 19% of Gen X and Baby Boomer fans intend to actively watch the majority of the tournament.

English women’s cricket is also benefiting from the recent successes of other national teams. Victories by the Lionesses at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and the Red Roses at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 are cited by 27% of respondents as one of the reasons they plan to watch the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The effect is even more pronounced among those who intend to watch women’s cricket for the first time, with 37% pointing to these achievements as an influence.

Globally, women’s cricket is experiencing a powerful surge – driven by younger audiences, new fans, and the ripple effects of landmark victories. In markets like India and the UK, the sport is welcoming first-time watchers at unprecedented levels and strengthening engagement among existing followers.

From packed stadiums to record TV numbers, the momentum suggests that women’s cricket is gaining immense popularity and is helping shape a new era in women’s sport.