The top 10 moments that shaped cricket in 2023

From Australia winning women’s and men’s World Cups and everything in between, media looks at cricket in 2023.

Cricket’s whirlwind year began as South Africa lit up a home Women’s T20 World Cup with a stunning run to the final, only to come up against the mighty Australians who crushed the home crowd’s hopes and walked away with a record-extending sixth title.

And 2023 ended in a similar manner: India hosted the men’s 50-over World Cup and the home favourites charted a blistering undefeated run to the final at the sport’s biggest stadium in Ahmedabad but were handed a shock six-wicket loss by five-time champions Australia.

Between the two tournaments, plenty of news, action and big results shook the cricket world. media looks at the 10 biggest moments in the sport in 2023:

The ninth women’s T20 World Cup opened with Sri Lanka’s thrilling win over hosts South Africa but the Proteas soon bounced back and reached the final after a win over mighty England.

The Australian juggernaut, led by Meg Lanning – powered by Beth Mooney’s 53-ball 74 and their experienced bowling unit’s controlled performance – beat the hosts by 19 runs in a closely-fought final in Cape Town.

On March 4, India launched its women’s version of a lucrative T20 franchise league amid fanfare. Top players from across the world were pitted against each other in five teams a week after the T20 World Cup.

More than $580m was spent on acquiring the five franchises and broadcasting rights were sold for $117m over a five-year period.

India and Mumbai captain Harmanpreet Kaur lifted the inaugural trophy after her side beat Lanning’s Delhi by seven wickets in the final. The league has been touted as a game-changer in women’s cricket, much like its men’s version, the Indian Premier League.