Independence Day 2025: Revisiting Top 12 Historic Moments for Indian Cricket in 78 Years

From the first Test win in 1952 to the 2025 Champions Trophy, Indian cricket has seen historic moments in 78 years of Independence. This journey includes World Cup victories, series wins abroad, and breaking long-standing jinxes.

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India Cricket's Historic Moments in 78 years of Independence

Over the last 78 years of Independence, Indian cricket has witnessed many historic events and moments that have not only defined the nation’s sporting legacy but also inspired generations of players and fans alike.

On the 79th year of Independence Day, let’s take a look at the top historic moments for Indian cricket over the years.

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1. First Test win in 1952

Almost 5 years after gaining independence from the British, India registered their first-ever Test win against England in June 1952. The historic achievement took place in the fifth Test in Chennai, where the Independent Indian team registered an innings and 8-run victory over England. Skipper Vijay Hazare, Vinood Mankad, Pankaj Roy, Polly Urmigar, Ghulam Ahmed, Dattu Phadkar, and Lala Amarnath played a pivotal role in helping India clinch their first-ever Test victory as an independent nation.

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2. First Test series in England in 1971

One of the historic achievements for Indian cricket in 78 years of independence is clinching the Test series win against England on English soil. The first two tests of the three-match series at Lord’s and Old Trafford ended in a draw, and India and England headed to the series decider at the Oval. In the Oval Test, Ajit Wadekar and his boys stunned the cricketing world not only by defeating England but also winning the series on English soil.

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3. First World Cup triumph in 1983

In 1983, the cricketing world witnessed an underdog clinching their maiden World Cup triumph despite not being the favourite to win the prestigious tournament, which was called the Prudential Cup. Kapil Dev-led Team India, or Kapil Dev’s devils, defied all odds by defeating the mighty and the defending champions, West Indies, in the final at Lord’s, etching their names in history and inspiring a generation of cricketers across India.

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4. India’s first Women’s World Cup Final

In 2005, Indian women’s cricket scripted a historic feat as they reached their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup Final. The Women in Blue finished second in the group stage with four wins, a defeat, and two no results, and qualified for the semifinals. In the semifinal, India defeated New Zealand in order to make it to their maiden title clash. However, Mithali Raj-led side failed to get hold of the trophy as they lost to the five–time champions Australia. 12 years later, in 2017, Mithali Raj again led Team India to the Women’s ODI World Cup final but fell short of the title as they lost to England.

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5. Maiden T20 World Cup in 2007

MS Dhoni-led Team India was the champion of the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, hosted by South Africa. It was the first World Cup triumph for Team India in 24 years and the first major victory for MS Dhoni as a captain. The Men in Blue remained undefeated in the group stage, with a win and no result, and qualified for the Super 8 stage, where they topped Group E with two wins and a defeat to qualify for the semifinal. In the semifinal, India defeated Australia to make it to the final. In the title clash, India defeated Pakistan by a thrilling 5 runs to clinch the maiden T20 World Cup.

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6. Ended 28-year ODI World Cup drought

After 28 long years, Team India once again realised the dream of clinching the ODI World Cup title in 2011. With this, the Men in Blue removed the stains of their heartbreaking defeat in the 2003 Final and an early exit from the 2007 edition of the tournament. India finished second in the group stage with 4 wins, a defeat, and one no result, and qualified for the quarterfinal, where they defeated defending champions Australia to qualify for the semifinal. In the semi-final, the Men in Blue defeated their arch-rivals Pakistan to make it to the final, where MS Dhoni’s side defeated Sri Lanka to end India’s 28-year ODI World Cup drought at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

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7. 2013 Champions Trophy Triumph

In 2013, India clinched their maiden Champions Trophy title under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Team India was the joint-winner of the 2002 Champions Trophy, and the 2013 edition of the tournament was their first outright title win. The Men in Blue remained unbeaten in the group stage by winning all three matches and qualified for the semifinal, where they defeated Sri Lanka to qualify for the final. In the final, India defeated the hosts England at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

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8. First Test series win in Australia

The 2018/19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy was a historic series for Team India as they finally managed to clinch their Test series win on Australian soil. India were already on the verge of defending their BGT title in Australia with a 2-1 series lead after winning the third Test and headed into the series decider in Sydney. However, the Sydney Test ended in a draw, and Virat Kohli-led Team India secured their first-ever Test series win in Australia, marking a monumental achievement in Indian cricket history.

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9. Asian Games gold medal

India's men’s and women’s teams became the first nation to clinch a gold medal in the history of the Asian Games. The 2022 edition of the Asian Games was cricket’s first appearance in the event since 2014. The Men in Blue, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, and the Women in Blue, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, displayed dominant performance throughout the tournament to clinch their maiden gold medals at the Asian Games.

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10. 17-year T20 World Cup title drought

In 2024, Team India finally ended their 17-year drought of winning their second T20 World Cup title. Rohit Sharma’s Men in Blue remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, including the semifinal victory against England, avenging their 2022 semifinal defeat. Team India’s unbeaten run culminated in clinching the coveted trophy by defeating South Africa in the final at the Barbados Cricket Ground. Moreover, India ended their 11-year drought of winning an ICC title.

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11. 11-year Champions Trophy Drought

Team India finally ended their 11-year drought in the ICC Champions Trophy by claiming the title in 2025. Rohit Sharma-led Team India had an unbeaten run in the tournament and won the semifinal by defeating the reigning World Champions, Australia, to qualify for the final. In the title clash, Men in Blue defeated New Zealand by four wickets to clinch their third Champions Trophy title.

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12. 58-Year Edgbaston Test Jinx Ended

Before the 2025 Edgbaston Test, Team India had never won a red-ball match at the venue from 1967 to 2022. However, broke their 58-year-long Edgbaston jinx in 2025, defeating England in a historic Test match to end decades of disappointment at the iconic Birmingham ground. Setting a target of 608 for England to chase, India bundled out the hosts for 271 to pull off a mammoth 336-run victory at Edgbaston. Edgbaston was one of the venues in England where India were yet to win a Test match.