ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Despite all the huff and puff over a boycott from India and their whiff of unsportsmanlike behavior, the Pakistan vs India cricketing rivalry still gets the world on its knees, and the latest proof of that was witnessed in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, in the shape of record-breaking viewership.
The long-awaited showdown broke all records as the most-watched women’s cricket match ever, as per official numbers issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The high-tension game between the two arch-rivals on October 5 witnessed a huge digital audience of 28.4 million and a record 1.87 billion minutes of watch time across the board, making it the largest women’s international cricket match ever.
The pre-match hype was again followed by front-page news of the cold relations between the two nations. But amidst all the external chatter, Pakistan and India once again demonstrated that no matter the venue, format, or gender, whenever these two teams confront each other, record crowds follow.
Though Pakistan vs India is shattering individual viewership records, the whole of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup is generating unprecedented viewership.
The ICC announced that the first half of the 2025 edition has achieved “record-breaking numbers” across TV and digital mediums, topped by the thrilling India-Pakistan match.
The initial 11 games of the tournament had achieved 72 million viewership, registering a 166% increase from the last edition, as per ICC statistics.
Additionally, overall minutes viewed increased 327% to 6.3 billion minutes across all platforms, a mind-boggling number that testifies to the hockey-stick increase in interest in women’s cricket.
Overall, the initial 13 games of the tournament have been viewed by more than 60 million unique spectators, five times more than in 2022, while overall watch time rose twelve times to more than 7 billion minutes, based on figures published by the ICC.
The massive response to the current ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 marks a turning point in the women’s game. India-Pakistan cricket, commonly referred to as the most passionately fought-out fixture in international sport, remains one of the biggest attractors of ginormous interest, not only on television, but on streaming services and social media.
As the tournament reaches its business end, excitement is mounting. With semi-final positions at stake, the ICC hopes for viewership to peak even higher, leading to a suspenseful climax of what has been a record World Cup.
