- The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Trophy was launched at Friday's Holkar Stadium in Indore
- The tournament was a celebration of Indore's rich cricketing heritage and the evolution of women's cricket throughout the years
- Young cricketer Anaadi Tagde of Indore was honored to lift the trophy onto the podium
The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 Trophy was unveiled at Holkar Stadium on Friday, commemorating the city's rich cricketing history and highlighting the impressive development of women's cricket over the decades.
Young Indore cricketer Anaadi Tagde was privileged to hold the trophy aloft to the podium, representative of the connection between the generations of women's cricket in Madhya Pradesh to come.
For ex-India captain Sandhya Agarwal, who played for the nation in the 1993 Women's World Cup, seeing the trophy was an emotional moment.
"So much has happened since our days. From infrastructure to visibility, opportunities are much more today. We played with few resources at hand, but today's up-and-coming players have the stage to bask in glory."
"I am sure India will raise the trophy this time," remarked Sandhya, India's highest run-scorer in the 1993 tournament and second on the all-time list of most centuries in women's Tests.
Indore's history with women's cricket is long and deep. Rajeshwari Dholakia played for India in the 1982 World Cup, and Rupanjali Shastri played in the 2002 World Cup in New Zealand, where she was the top wicket-taker and was awarded Player of the Match distinction.
Holkar Stadium, known for its house-full crowds and most iconic of matches, will be hosting five games of the 2025 World Cup, including the October 1 match between defending champions Australia and New Zealand.
The games will witness the world's top-ranked nations — Australia, England, India, South Africa, and New Zealand.
"The Women's World Cup has strong roots with MP players. We anticipate full houses and nail-biting matches here," said MPCA CAO Rohit Pandit. Joint Secretary Siddhyani Patni further stated, "We want the trophy to stay in India this year."
