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.
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