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The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday marked the ‘50 Days to Go’ milestone for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in Mumbai with the launch of the Trophy Tour across India. The event also served as the first official public engagement for newly appointed ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta, setting the tone for his tenure with a clear focus on legacy, visibility, and cultural impact.
The ceremony brought together an array of cricketing icons and administrators, including former India captain Mithali Raj, cricket legend Yuvraj Singh, ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI secretary Davajit Saikia, and current India players Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Jemimah Rodrigues.
India will host the Women’s ODI World Cup for the fourth time, after 1978, 1997, and 2013. Under a PCB-BCCI agreement on neutral venues, Sri Lanka has also been allocated five home games in addition to hosting all of Pakistan’s matches.
Gupta's First Big Stage As ICC CEO
Speaking at the event, Gupta said, “there is a larger picture here, which has to do with what this means for the country. The growth of women’s cricket, in many ways, is a reflection of the country’s progress.”
“In every sense, the growth of women’s cricket over the last eight years has brought us to this moment where it is time for the game to take its next leap. This World Cup can be the springboard for that next leap. World Cups are more than just events; they are apertures for building trans-generational legacies and fostering new cultures," he added.
Gupta positioned the World Cup as a cultural moment rather than a stand-alone sporting event. “They inspire more girls to play, encourage communities to support them, and normalise women occupying spaces traditionally dominated by men,” he said.
Gupta further elaborated on the importance of legacy, “A World Cup is not just an event. It leaves behind a legacy and a culture that inspires generations. Watching the 2007 T20 World Cup win created a generation of fans. The 2011 Men’s World Cup victory made people believe anything was possible. Mithali’s journey across multiple Women’s World Cups, culminating in 2017, showed that India has heroes beyond the men’s team. The upcoming tournament will be remembered by a whole generation. Our aim is to inspire more girls to play, and to encourage communities to support them in choosing cricket as a career. The choice of venues for the Trophy Tour ensures deep engagement across the country.”
While acknowledging that on-field performance and viewership numbers are important, Gupta stressed that the tournament’s greater significance lies in representation and accessibility. “We want better representation for half of the population in our sport. That’s where growth will come from. Kids get inspired to play because they watch, whether it’s in stadiums, on television, or on digital platforms. Watching the World Cup can inspire an entire generation to engage with the sport like never before.”
The ICC and BCCI plan to take the Women’s World Cup trophy across the length and breadth of India, with venues chosen to deepen engagement beyond traditional cricketing hubs. Gupta described the tour as a “symbol of inspiration” meant to reach not just aspiring players, but also the communities around them.
“Once the World Cup starts the focus will be on the cricketers and on the action and the performance, but it still doesn’t take away what this World Cup can potentially deliver to the Indian cricket ecosystem but also the global cricket ecosystem,” he concluded.
Sanjog Gupta became ICC CEO on July 7, 2025, succeeding Geoff Allardice after a global search that drew over 2,500 applicants from 25 countries. With over a decade in sports business and broadcasting, he previously led JioStar’s Sports & Live Experiences, driving growth across TV and digital, and was instrumental in shaping marquee properties like the IPL, ICC events, PKL, ISL, and popularising global sports in India. Earlier, he held senior roles at Star Sports and Star TV Network from 2015 to 2024, overseeing cricket operations, sports content, and programming, and earning a reputation for strategic, innovative, and audience-focused leadership
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