From the first-ever Women Cricket World Cup win by India to 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh grabbing the FIDE Women’s World Cup, the year gone by saw some landmark firsts by women sportspersons. Here are the top 10 moments.
Divya Deshmukh follows D Gukesh’s footsteps
The 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh stunned the chess world by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 in July, becoming the first Indian woman to claim the prestigious title. In the all-Indian final, Divya defeated legendary compatriot Koneru Humpy 1.5–0.5 in the rapid tie-breaks to script a fairytale ending in Baku.
The presence of two Indians as the sole competitors in the final underscored India's role as a global chess superpower, further solidifying its status. The final went to tie-breaks, and Divya won 1.5-0.5 and was left in tears. She played a pivotal role in India’s gold medal run at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, also securing individual gold on her board.
Women’s ODI World Cup: India’s long wait ends
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur with the prestigious ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Trophy. (Photo courtesy: X@BCCIWomen)
India’s long wait for a Women’s ODI World Cup title ended in November as Harmanpreet Kaur’s side lifted the trophy on home soil. Co-hosting the tournament with Sri Lanka, India’s campaign was marked by resilience and fightback.
Early wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan were followed by three consecutive defeats that left India on the brink of bowing out. A clutch victory over New Zealand in a potentially must-win encounter proved decisive, pushing the hosts into the semi-finals.
In the final against South Africa, Shafali Verma composed 87, setting up a match-winning total of 298/7, before Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Tournament and World Cup’s leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps, sealed the title with a five-wicket haul.
Squash World Cup: India breaks new ground
In squash - a sport set to make its Olympic debut at LA 2028 - India claimed its maiden World Cup title in Chennai, defeating top seeds Hong Kong China in the final to create history in December.
Seeded second, the Indian team, which included the quartet of Anahat Singh, Joshna Chinappa, Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar, went unbeaten through the tournament without dropping a single match across ties. The triumph made India only the fourth nation to win the Squash World Cup.
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: India’s third crown
The Rohit Sharma-led Team India lifted the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. (Photo courtesy: X@BCCI)
India marked the return of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year gap by lifting the title for a record third time in the UAE in March. Virat Kohli’s century against Pakistan lit up the group stage, while Rohit Sharma anchored the final with a composed 76 off 83 balls as India chased down 252 to beat New Zealand by four wickets.
Both Rohit and Virat announced their retirement from Test cricket in May, closing a glittering chapter in Indian cricket during a year of transition.
Asia Cup cricket: India retain supremacy
India lifted their record-extending ninth Asia Cup title in the UAE in September with a seven-match unbeaten run. Led by Suryakumar Yadav and with Abhishek Sharma in sensational form, India beat Pakistan in the final to secure a record-extending ninth continental title. Tilak Varma was the hero of the final with his unbeaten 69, rescuing India following a slow start while chasing 146.
Asia Cup hockey: India back on top
The hockey team were crowned Asia Cup champions for the fourth time. (Photo courtesy: X@TheHockeyIndia)
The Indian men’s hockey team were crowned Asia Cup champions for the fourth time after they beat the Republic of Korea 4-1 in the final at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Bihar. With the win, India ended their eight-year wait for the continental title and qualified for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium. India’s Abhishek Nain was named the Player of the Tournament.
World Boxing Championships: A double-gold breakthrough
Despite Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Nikhat Zareen missing the podium at the World Boxing Championships 2025 in Liverpool, India enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, courtesy of gold medals from Jaismine Lamboria and Minakshi Hooda.
Jaismine stunned by Paris 2024 Olympics medallist Julia Szeremeta of Poland in the 57kg final while Minakshi edged Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay to clinch the 48kg crown. Their titles made them India’s first champions under the new World Boxing governing body.
ISSF World Championships: Samrat Rana’s golden game
Samrat Rana produced one of the year’s standout performances by winning gold in the men’s 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Championships 2025 in Cairo. The 20-year-old defeated world No. 1 Hu Kai in a tense final, becoming the first Indian to win a senior individual world title in an Olympic pistol shooting event.
Neeraj Chopra breaches 90-meter barrier
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At the Qatar Sports Club, Neeraj Chopra breached the milestone with a 90.23m attempt. (Photo courtesy: X@Neeraj_chopra1)
Neeraj Chopra’s performance at the Doha Diamond League 2025 delivered a moment Indian athletics had long yearned for - watching its golden boy shatter the elusive 90m barrier to enter the elite club in men’s javelin throw.
At the Qatar Sports Club, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion breached the milestone with a 90.23m attempt. Neeraj Chopra began the meet with what was then a world-leading mark of 88.44m. The former world champion fouled on his second attempt but followed it up with the 90.23m throw to reset the Indian national record.
World Archery Championships: Gold and silver for India
India’s Rishabh Yadav, Aman Saini and Prathamesh Fuge clinched a historic gold at the World Archery Championships 2025 in Gwangju, marking India’s maiden top podium finish in the men’s compound archery team event at the global showpiece.
The second-seeded Indian men’s team showed remarkable grit to overturn a first-set deficit of 59-57 and beat the fifth-seeded French team of Nicolas Girard, Jean Philippe Boulch and François Dubois 235-233 in the final.
